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MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 


An  Indian  Legend  and  Story  of 
Southern  California. 


By 
WILLIAM  RUSSELL  MOREHOUSE. 


THE  EDITOR  PUBLISHING  CO., 

FRANKLIN,   OHIO. 
1903. 


COPYRIGHT   BY 
W.    R.    MOKKHOrSE. 


DEDICATION. 

TO  MY  FATHER. 


Preface  to  Legend. 


America  was  discovered  by  the  white  man  many 
centuries  ago.  He  also  discovered  many  secrets  of 
the  savage  Indian — unsealed  many  treasures  known, 
and  defended  by  him. 

Gleaning  the  past  four  hundred  years,  we  find 
the  Saxon  has  accomplished  many  wonderful  and  al 
most  impossible  tasks.  Our  histories  tell  of  the  com 
ing  of  Columbus,  of  terrible  wars  with  the  savage 
tribes,  of  the  cruel  destruction  of  the  defenceless 
homes  of  the  Saxons — in  fact,  many  pages  are  needed 
to  chronicle  the  difficulties  and  the  sufferings  that 
marked  the  beginnings  of  the  history  of  America. 

And  so  history,  rich  in  narrative,  is  dear  to  the 
intelligent  student  of  to-day.  History  records  man's 
daily  advancement  and,  dating  back  of  his  present 
day,  reveals  to  him  the  developments  of  his  forefath 
ers,  tin  til  he  finds  himself  one  of  the  characters  joined 
to  a  nation  to  make  its  history. 

Thousands  of  volumes  record  the  course  of  past 
events,  yet  much  remains  unwritten.  Able  writers 
are  spending  years  in  recording  recent  events,  while 
but  few  are  taking  a  day  for  preserving  in  writing  the 
remote  past.  If  we  could  look  back  to  the  period  of 


the  Mouudbuilders,  we  likely  sliould  know  also  of  the 
time  when  the  immense  mastodon  inhabited  the  land. 
We  are  only  guessing  at  the  period  of  the  mastodon, 
and  feebly  trying  to  point  out  his  chosen  feeding 
ground.  We  have  been  trying  for  years  to  solve  the 
mysteries  of  the  Moundbuilder,  and  now  our  know 
ledge  rests  solely  upon  nameless  tombs  of  crumbling 
skeletons.  These  testimonies  are  weak  and  uncertain 
for  the  dead  do  not  speak,  nor  do  the  relics  enclosed 
with  them. 

From  these  skeleton  remains  we  must  grant  that 
men  at  one  time  lived,  and  during  their  lives  warred 
with  the  bow  and  arrow — hammered  the  flint  with 
hardened  copper.  Long  before  our  great  grandfath 
ers  had  knowledge  of  a  western  hemisphere,  a  history 
of  a  mountain  peak  was  made  by  an  Indian.  And 
although  lie  had  little  knowledge  of  how  to  preserve 
this  history  in  writing,  only  the  useless  lias  been  lost, 
the  priceless  pearls  being  handed  down  from  father 
to  son. 

Many  races  have  passed  out  of  existence,  but  each 
has  left  the  arrow  or  the  tool  of  copper,  so  that  his 
legendary  history  becomes  a  truth.  Was  this  not 
true  of  the  Moundbuilder,  and  will  it  not  be  proven 
true  with  the  Cave-dweller?  And  does  a  true  Cali 
fornia  n  doubt  that  another  century  and  the  tepees  of 
Ramona's  race  shall  be  deserted  as  were  those  of  their 
ancestors? 

We  Saxons  have  grown  careless  and  uninterested 
in  the  Indian  of  the  white  hair  and  of  more  than  one 
hundred  years.  We  are  daily  passing  him  by  as  a 
beggar,  as  a  nuisance  ;  and  more,  we  do  not  pause  to 
listen  to  his  legend,  so  soon  to  be  numbered  irrevoc- 


ably  among  the  vast  unwritten  volumes.  Let  us  each 
stop  in  our  rapid  progress,  and  gather  up  all  such 
precious  records. 

The  name  Bonifacio  Cabse  calls  to  mind  a  police 
man  of  the  Loboba  Indians,  and  an  Indian  village  on 
the  Mission  Reservation.  Many  times  did  I  meet 
Bonifacio  Cabse,  and  each  time  with  a  handshake  and 
the  greeting  "me-oc'qua.  "  Through  Bonifacio  Cabse 
I  soon  knew  nearly  every  Indian  on  the  Reservation, 
and  then  as  they  passed  me  on  their  broncos  enroute 
to  San  Jacinito  for  supplies,  or  to  the  Agency  for  ad 
vice,  it  was  "me-oc'qua." 

One  day  I  asked  Bonifacio  to  tell  me  all  he  had 
told  the  Agent.  At  first  he  thought  his  religious 
spirit  would  curse  him  for  revealing  the  tragedy 
which  gave  Tauquitz  Legend  its  origin  ;  but  this  all 
changed  upon  my  offering  him  five  silver  dollars.  The 
money  was  too  tempting  for  Bonifacio  Cabse,  and  for 
it  he  would  disclose  every  secret  bound  up  within  his 
worshiped  legend.  Let  us  unravel  this. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

An  Indian  Legend  and  Story  of  Southern 
California. 

CHAPTER  I. 

A    STRANGE    MEETING. 

While  one  may  safely  class  the  following  chapters 
as  "An  Indian  Story  of  Southern  California,"  he  may 
as  well  term  it  "A  Story  of  a  Land  without  a 
Boundary." 

So  far  as  the  then  inhabiting  Indian  could  see,  a 
boundless  land  outstretched  itself.  To  measure  its 
length  and  breadth  was  a  task  promising  well  to  last 
a  lifetime. 

As  to-day,  Southern  California  then  had  its 
cragged  mountains  of  granite,  its  expanse  of  level 
mesas,  its  verdant  valleys  with  an  occasional  small 
river  and  lake.  The  seasons  too  were  much  as  the 
seasons  now.  Wet  winters,  followed  by  long,  dry 
and  hot  summers,  and,  in  the  course  of  a  half  century 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  2 

a  few  years  of  many  rainy  months,  and  no  less  years 
of  many  dry  and  rainless  ones. 

Four  almost  rainless  years  had  now  spent 
themselves ;  the  once  green  and  stately  trees  re 
sembled  naked  giants,  while  in  valley  bottoms,  once 
rich  with  many  varieties  of  flowers  and  grasses,  a 
barren  waste  threatened. 

At  the  head  of  a  now  desolate  valley  in  this  land 
is  living  a  nameless  tribe  of  Indians.  They  are  of 
some  intelligence,  having  chosen  a  fearless  man  for 
chieftain,  a  wise  man  for  judge  over  disputes,  and  a 
saintly  man  as  director  overall  the  good  spirits.  They 
are  looking  unto  a  God  for  all  their  wants,  and  are 
otherwise  in  line  with  men  of  the  highest  civilization. 
Their  trust  is  confided  in  the  Acron  or  Oak  Tree 
which,  although  in  tree  form,  represents  to  them 
their  Acron  God. 

The  wealth  of  this  nameless  tribe  is  invested  in 
one  great  flock  of  sheep,  which  through  a  decision  in 
the  Indian  court,  has  passed  into  the  control  of  the 
judge's  first  son,  Silveric  Sinon. 

When  less  than  ten  years  of  age  Silveric  Sinon 
fully  realized  what  it  was  to  be  the  sole  custodian  of 
the  tribe's  riches.  He  knew,  too,  that  it  was  possible 
to  lose,  through  neglect,  that  which  his  father's  de 
cision  had  given  him.  Growing  older,  he  became  so 
fearful  of  this  consequence  as  to  herd  the  sheep  in 
person.  And  so  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  of  the 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  3 

sun  he  watched  the  great  flock,  and  at  night  he  slept 
among  them.  Often  he  would  silently  contemplate 
some  parcel  of  land,  covered  as  yet  with  scant  dry 
feed,  and  his  thoughts  would  turn  toward  fertile  val 
leys  far  westward. 

Early  one  summer  morning  Silveric  started  on  a 
long  trip  westward.  Absent  from  home  but  three 
suns,  he  returned  weary  and  worn.  Again,  deter 
mined  upon  securing  a  quantity  of  dried  mutton  and 
grapes,  he  took  with  him  his  young  brother  Diego, 
and  was  gone. 

"Will  the  Gods  of  the  Acron  Tree  watch  over  us 
when  so  far  from  home?"  boyishly  asked  young  Di 
ego ;  and  Silveric  firmly  replied,  "Yes,  brother,  the 
Gods  of  the  Acroii  Tree  are  always  with  me,  for  I 
have  riches  attracting  them."  "And  brother,  are 
there  Indians  living  in  this  land?  Father  says  there 
are  many,  many  bad  Indians  living  in  a  cave  high  up 
in  the  mountains.  Are  they  as  large  and  strong  as 
Pedro  Palo?"  "No  brother,  they  are  small  in 
stature." 

"My  poor  sheep,"  murmured  Silveric.  "Poor 
sheep,"  repeated  Diego,  picking  a  few  dry  stems  of 
grass  and  putting  them  into  his  mouth. 

Before  the  sun  set  Silveric  and  Diego  were  look 
ing  over  a  land  which  promised  an  abundance  of 
feed.  Overjoyed  in  this,  Silveric  began  dancing,  and 
as  he  danced  he  lashed  his  sides  with  his  open  palms 


4  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

until  the  blood  almost  spurted  forth.  Diego  stood 
watching  his  brother  until  the  latter  cried  out,  "We 
have  found  better  land  than  our  fathers!"  Then  he, 
too,  joined  in  the  dance. 

"Ah  !"  Silveric  whispered,  presently  ceasing  his 
wild  dancing  and  looking  out  toward  the  thicket : 
"coyotes,  brother,"  he  said,  soberly. 

"Why  cease  to  dance,  brother?"  asked  Diego, 
still  dancing. 

"Ah,  I  can  no  longer  dance  for  joy,  for  the  coy 
otes  endanger  my  riches  and  my  sheep.'1 

"Can  we  not  drive  them  into  the  mountains?" 
asked  Diego. 

"No,  no,  there  is  just  one  thing  to  be  done.  You 
hasten  home  and  tell  Pedro  Palo  to  come.  Have  him 
bring  many,  many  arrows,  and  you,  Diego,  bring 
father's  swiftest  hounds." 

"And  who  is  to  bring  the  dried  mutton  and 
grapes?"  asked  Diego,  seriously. 

"They  are  both  with  us  in  this  land,"  replied 
Silveric,  "for  see,  yonder  upon  the  mesa  buds  the 
cactus  fruit.  Then  too,  should  we  need,  we  shall  kill 
a  sheep." 

"And  then,  too,  Silveric,"  said  Diego,  happy  in 
the  thought,  "Pedro  is  a  true  shot  and  he  can  easily 
hit  a  rabbit  as  it  runs  for  the  thicket,  or  a  bird  as  it 
flies  by." 

Diego  started  with  the  sun  on  his  long  tramp  up  the 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  5 

valley.  No  sooner  had  he  gone  than  Silveric  ascended 
a  near-by  foothill  to  look  over  the  paradise  he  felt  lay 
all  about  him.  For  some  time  he  sat  there  watching 
the  outstretched  mesas.  Soon  he  saw  some  moving 
object.  "It's  poor  Diego,"  he  said,  sorrowfully, 
watching  the  slowly  moving  figure.  "Diego  is  lost, 
having  gone  down  the  valley  when  he  should  have 
gone  up."  Silveric  continued  to  follow  the  figure  as 
it  moved  in  and  out  among  the  low  bushes.  "Diego 
sees  me,"  he  whispered,  crossing  his  hands  upon  his 
breast  and  uttering  a  sacred  "Amen!"  to  the  Acron 
God.  He  watched  the  figure  slowly  drawing  nearer. 
Then,  wishing  to  surprise  Diego  he  ran  to  hide  him 
self  in  a  thicket  of  rose  bushes.  It  seemed  to  Silveric 
that  even  the  day  had  passed,  still  he  waited.  "What ! 
what!  are  my  eyes  false?"  he  questioned  himself, 
"for  behold  this  who  comes  is  not  Diego.  It  is  an 
Indian  maiden,  and  she  is  lost.  Ah,  she  discovers 
me,"  said  Silveric,  becoming  alarmed.  "She  stoops 
to  examine  my  footprints.  What  if  she  should  be  a 
member  of  the  bad-spirited  Indians?  She  will  de 
stroy  my  sheep. "  Silveric  crouched  lower. 

"Ah  !  she  speaks  ! "  and  Silveric  listened.  "Has 
my  father  been  here?  Maybe  it  is  my  lover's  foot 
prints,"  she  said. 

"She  must  be  lost,"  Silveric  decided.  Then, 
"She  is  beautiful, ' '  he  thought,  as  he  studied  her  from 
his  concealment,  "and  I  should  learn  to  love  her  as 


«  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

fully  as  the  one  whose  footprints  warm  her  heart.  " 

Gripping  tight  his  bow,  and  setting  an  arrow  in 
it,  Silveric  crept  from  his  hiding  place  toward  the 
stranger,  who,  bitterly  weeping,  had  hid  her  face  in 
her  hands.  Before  her  Silveric's  bravery  vanished  ; 
he  now  wished  he  were  still  hidden,  but  it  was  too 
late.  He  had  one  thing  left  to  do,  and  he  resolved 
to  do  it  bravely.  Bending  down,  he  gathered  up  the 
black  silken  hair,  murmuring  as  he  pressed  it  in  his 
hands,  "How  beautiful !  why  should  one  so  beauti 
ful  cry?" 

In  an  instant  the  maiden  was  upon  her  feet.  "I 
am  not  an  evil  spirit,"  Silveric  said  tenderly.  "I 
should  like  to  be  your  friend,"  he  added,  wanting  for 
better  words  of  welcome.  This  seeming  fairness 
worked  to  his  purpose,  for  the  maiden  asked,  "You 
mean  to  do  me  no  harm?"  and  as  she  spoke  the  words 
began  again  to  cry. 

"A  friend  will  do  you  no  harm,"  quickly  replied 
Silveric,  stepping  nearer.  "Strange  maiden,  tell  me 
you  name?" 

"Ah,  my  young  friend,  I  am  an  Indian  goddess, 
living  by  a  sea  in  the  far  east,  and  the  name  given  me 
by  the  Gods  of  the  beautiful  sunset  is  'Mystica. ' : 

"Yes,  and  whose  child  are  you?" 

"I  am  the  youngest  daughter  of  Chief  Algoo-at, 
but — "  cutting  short  her  reply,  "what  is  your  name, 
and  whose  child  are  you?" 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  7 

"Ah  !  Mystica,  you  have  such  a  beautiful  name 
I  am  ashamed  of  mine.  I  am  Silveric  Sinon,  and  I 
live  far  up  the  valley,"  pointing  with  an  arrow  east 
ward. 

"And  where  did  you  find  the  name?" 

"Ah!  it  is  one  given  me  by  the  planets,  and  it 
means  I  have  the  cunning  of  the  coyote.  And  I  am 
the  first  born  son  of  Judge  Sinon.  And  now  Mystica, 
come  and  sit  with  me  on  the  brink  of  the  spring. 
Come,  I  want  to  tell  you  of  my  home." 

For  a  moment  timid  Mystica  stood  unmoved,  but 
she  at  last  yielded  ;  and  so  together  they  sat,  talking 
of  their  respective  homes. 

"That  is  the  granite  mountain  yonder,"  said  Sil 
veric,  pointing  with  an  arrow  to  a  cragged  mountain 
far  eastward.  "By  it  I  live." 

"Is  it  by  the  great  sea?"  asked  Mystica,  deeply 
interested. 

"What  means  a  sea?"  Silveric  asked  innocently, 
having  never  heard  the  word. 

"A  sea  is  as  many  springs  of  water." 

"Yes,  Mystica,  but  I  cannot  reply,  for  I  must  ask 
my  father  if  lie  has  seen  the  sea  in  the  west.  So 
strange  it  is  to  me,  Mystica." 

"What  is  strange?"  asked  the  maiden. 

"Oh,  our  meeting  in  this  far  land." 

"Yes,  and  as  strange  with  me;"  and  Mystica 
arose,  adding  as  she  started  away,  "Silveric,  you  but 


8  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

care  to  fathom  the  secrets  of  my  home  and  people." 

"Not  to  rob  you  of  them,"  replied  the  youth,  and 
added,  "you  are  beautiful,  Mystica.'' 

"Many  young  men  at  home  have  told  me  so," 
and  Mystica  brushed  back  a  flow  of  silken  hair  that 
had  blown  across  her  face. 

"Why  should  you  go?  Why  not  stay  just  a  lit 
tle  longer?"  begged  Silveric,  a  youth  whose  favor 
was  with  any  maiden  of  his  own  tribe,  at  the  feet  of 
Mystica  Algooat,  to  him  almost  a  stranger.  kkl  will 
be  lonely  without  you,"  he  cried,  "so  lonely  I  could 
die.  My  brother  Diego  is  now  gone, and  I  am  alone." 

"Diego!  and  who  is  he?"  asked  Mystica,  forget 
ting  that  she  wished  to  escape.  "Is  he  perfect  of 
stature  and  beautiful  of  face?''  she  added,  much  to 
the  surprise  of  Silveric. 

"More  beautiful  than  I.  Diego  has  the  beauty 
of  the  Gods  of  the  Setting  Sun,  while  I  have  the 
riches  of  the  land." 

"Riches  in  land,"  Mystica  repeated  with  empha 
sis,  and  then  she  laughed.  "If  it  is  riches  in  land,  I 
care  little,  for  there  is  no  riches  in  lands — they  are 
boundless." 

"No,  no,  Mystica,  riches  in  great  herds  of  sheep. ' 7 

"Sheep!  what  means  the  word?  If  they  are 
lovers,  I  have  youthful  lovers  more  than  five  ;  and 
•ee  here — " 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  9 

But  Silveric  interrupting,  asked  :  "And  have 
you  a  tepee  of  your  own?" 

"No,  I  have  not  yet  chosen  him  who  shall  build 
it," 

"Then  when  shall  you  make  this  choice?"  he 
quickly  asked. 

"I  now  live  alone  in  my  father's  tepee — mother 
is  dead — but  this  summer  I  shall  make  a  choice,"  re 
plied  the  girl. 

"Then  you  have  many  to  choose  from?" 

"Ah!  Silveric,  I  have  them  all,  they  all  love 
me." 

"I  am  learning,  too,"  Silveric  foolishly  admitted. 
"You  become  more  and  more  beautiful,  Mystica,  as 
you  tarry  with  me,"  he  said. 

"I  tarry  here!  No,  no,  Silveric,  I  must  go." 
But  Silveric  had  called  her  back,  promising  to  tell  her 
of  the  great  numbers  of  his  people. 

"My  father's  people  are  countless,  they  are  as 
many  as  the  leaves  upon  the  trees, "  said  Mystica. 

"Then  your  father  must  be  a  chieftain?" 

"Yes,  Silveric,  he  is  the  Chief  Algooat ;  and  I 
Mystica  Algooat." 

"I  think  Mystica  is  such  a  pretty  name,"  said 
the  youth. 

"Silveric,  you  are  graceful  of  stature,"  Mystica 
said;  and  quickly  added,  "but  to  tell  you  so  was 
silly. "  Then  she  asked  Silveric  to  show  her  the  sheep. 


10  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"Come  with  me  to  the  mesa,"  he  said,  leading 
the  way  southward  through  the  willow  thickets. 

"Hold,  Silveric,  is  a  sheep  a  good  or  bad  spirit, 
or  is  it  as  the  hound  that  bites  or  the  bee  that  stings?" 

"No,  no,  Mystica,  my  sheep  are  pets.  See,  yon 
der  rises  the  dust." 

"Ah  !  sheep  are  like  a  mighty  wind,   Silveric." 

"No,  no,  my  dear.  Wait  until  nearer  and  I'll 
call  them  to  me." 

"But  drive  them  back,"  Mystica  cried,  as  she 
shrank  from  the  foremost  of  the  flock.  "They're 
sure  to  harm  me  "  she  sobbed,  laying  her  arms  upon 
Silveric 's  shoulder. 

"Come,  Mystica,  why  are  you  frightened?  They 
want  to  love  you,  that  is  all,"  he  assured  her.  "As 
the  frogs  croak  in  the  springtime,  my  sheep  bleat, 
Mystica.  Cheer  up  !  cheer  up  !  my  sheep  are  here  to 
make  friends  with  you.  They  know  well  of  another 
maiden  who  for  moons  has  watched  over  them,  and 
close  to  my  side." 

"Then  Silveric,  you  are  now  in  love  with  another 
maiden,  and  are  fooling  me.  If  this  be  so,  take  me 
back  to  the  spring  that  I  may  go  far  from  you." 

"Why  hasten,  Mystica?" 

"Else  the  maiden  come  ;  and  then  as  you  know 
well  she  will  grow  jealous  of  me." 
'But  she  is  dead,  Mystica." 

"Truly  so?"  asked  the  girl. 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  11 

"I  have  told  you  rightly,"  replied  Silveric. 
"Come,  this  sheep  claims  you  as  its  friend  for  it 
wants  to  lick  your  hand." 

"It  is  looking  for  the  other  maiden,  and  does  not 
recognize  me,  for  I  must  be  strange  to  it.  Ah  !  sheep 
trouble  me,  Silveric.  Do  let  them  go  back  to  their 
feeding  and  you  tell  me  of  pleasant  things,  for  I  am 
tired." 

"Truly,  I  shall,  Mystica  ;  but  first,  aren't  you 
hungry?" 

"I  am,  Silveric,  for  now  a  half  moon  I  have  lived 
upon  the  cactus  fruit." 

Silveric  led  her  to  his  camp  in  the  willows.  "The 
dried  flesh  of  sheep  is  new  to  me,"  said  Mystica,  hav 
ing  eaten  the  portion  given  her  by  Silveric. 

"Then  your  people  have  not  known  of  the 
sheep?" 

"No,  they  are  new  to  us.  We  live  upon  dried 
fish." 

"What  of  the  dried  grape?"  asked  Silveric. 

"Ah,  dry  grapes  I  love,  for  they  are  far  sweeter 
than  the  berries  growing  by  the  sea." 

"Taste  these,"  he  said;  and  plucked  from  an 
overhanging  vine  a  well  ripened  bunch  of  green 
grapes  ;  "these  are  living  grapes." 

Mystica  looked  first  upon  the  grapes  and  then  at 
the  giver.  "Can  I  whisper  a  promise  to  you,  Sil 
veric?"  she  asked,  having  first  tasted  the  sweet  fruit. 


12  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"Should  you  give  my  father  a  bunch  of  these  sweet 
grapes,  he  would  permit  you  to  love  me." 

Then  beneath  the  grape  vine  and  the  overhang 
ing  willow  Silveric  told  to  the  one  he  was  fast  learn 
ing  to  love,  the  history  of  a  people  living  beneath  the 
shadow  of  a  high  mountain  peak.  And  by  Mystica 
another  story  was  told,  of  a  people  living  upon  the 
shore  of  a  great  sea. 

"Do  the  evil  spirits  live  in  the  foothills  about 
us?"  Mystica  questioned  seriously. 

"No,  no,  the  evil  spirits  live  high  up  in  the 
granite  mountain,"  assured  her  companion. 

"Behold!  the  day  fast  goes,  Silveric,  and  I 
must  be  away,"  said  Mystica. 

"You  hasten  where?"  asked  Silveric. 

"In  search  of  home,"  was  the  reply. 

"Foolish  to  go  now,  for  only  a  little  way  can 
you  go  before  dark  night  settles  about  you." 

"Then  Silvoric,  lam  to  stay  and  tell  Diego,  your 
brother,  of  my  people." 

"I  purpose  to  hide  you  away  until  Diego  is  gone 
far  upon  the  mesa  with  the  sheep.  I  have  planned 
it  all,  Mystica.  I  shall  tell  Diego  I  am  going  west 
ward  to  look  for  better  pasture,  and  instead  I'll  steal 
away  with  you." 

"But  if  I  should  hide  away  will  not  Diego's 
hounds  find  me?" 

"No  fear  of  that,  for  it  is  always  their  duty  to 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  13 

watch  the  sheep  upon  the  mesa.  Hide  yourself  away 
up  along  the  trunk. of  this  giant  willow.  Take  up 
with  you  a  sheep  skin  to  shelter  you  against  the  cold 
night  wind.  Spread  the  vines  well  before.  Listen, 
I  hear  voices.  It  is  Diego  and  Pedro  Palo,  for  I 
recognize  the  bark  of  Diego's  hounds.  Quick!" 

Mystica  nimbly  passed  from  limb  to  limb  and 
soon  was  far  up  from  Silveric.  "A  good  joke  on  Di 
ego,"  he  laughed,  as  he  told  Mystica  how  best  to  ar 
range  every  branch.  Only  a  moment  passed  before 
a  panting  hound  sprang  in,  then  a  second,  and  even 
to  the  fourth.  Soon  Diego  stumbled  in  wearily,  then 
Pedro  Palo,  carrying  upon  his  shoulder  a  bow  and  a 
sheep-skin  roll  of  arrowrs. 

"Silveric  deserts  his  sheep,"  panted  Diego  to 
Pedro  Palo  without  a  word  to  his  brother.  "The  sheep 
are  unguarded. " 

"Diego,"  coldly  spoke  Sil™:lc,  "you  speak  un 
kindly,  for  which  I  shall  punish  you.  Before  the 
sun's  rising  you  lead  the  sheep  far  to  the  southern 
mesas.  Remember,  Diego,  this  is  to  punish  you. 
Remember,  the  sheep  are  mine,  and  under  my  care." 

"Spirits!"  cried  Pedro  Palo,  seeing  the  hounds 
leap  along  the  tree  trunk. 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  Diego,  as  he  ran  from  under 
the  tree,  "they  smell  an  enemy." 

"They  smell  themselves,"  coarsely  mocked  Sil 
veric,  hurling  a  limb  at  the  foremost.  "Diego  is 


14  MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT. 

afraid  of  himself ;  even  an  owl  alighting  in  the  tree 
would  frighten  him." 

Diego  said  nothing,  but  turned  back  to  his  camp, 
and  was  soon  fast  asleep.  Earlier  in  the  evening  Sil- 
veric  had  crept  away  to  watch  over  the  flock  till  Di 
ego  should  relieve  him.  Mystica,  too,  had  fallen 
asleep,  but  the  bright  moon  shining  through  the  trees 
awakened  her  some  time  in  the  night. 

"Spirits,  Diego!  spirits,  Diego!"  she  heard  a 
voice  exclaim  suddenly,  and  her  keen  ears  caught  the 
crackling  of  limbs  as  someone  dashed  away  through 
the  thicket. 

"Hush!  it  is  but  an  owl,"  scolded  Diego,  sleep 
ily.  "The  new  moon  disturbs  Pedro. "  And  a  little 
later  she  heard  him  sneer  to  himself,  "Cowardly  Pe 
dro!"  She  saw  an  owl  fly  between  them  and  the 
moon,  and  she  heard  Diego  laugh  and  say,  "Silveric 
thinks  I  am  afraid  of  myself,  but  he  does  not  know." 
As  she  listened  intently,  she  heard  a  man's  retreating 
footsteps.  Diego  had  snatched  a  small  bag  of  dried 
mutton  and  grapes  and  was  running  toward  the  south 
ern  mesa. 

"I  am  alone,"  sighed  Mystica,  as  the  sounds  died 
away,  "and  worse  than  dead.  There  is  no  comfort 
in  the  croaking  of  the  frogs  in  the  spring,  nor  in  the 
chirping  of  the  crickets  in  the  tree  trunk.  The  night 
frightens  me." 

There  was  a  sudden  whir  above    her    head,    and 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  15 

she  knew  it  was  the  whizzing  of  an  arrow  as  it 
glanced  from  bough  to  bough.  She  crouched  down 
in  terror,  in  doubt  as  to  the  target.  Then,  just  above 
her  head,  a  night  owl  flapped  his  wings,  with  the 
agony  of  a  wounded  creature.  Below  her  a  clear 
voice  rang  out. 

"Pedro  Palo  would  shoot  tokillSilvericSinon?" 

"Ah,  no,  Silveric,"  came  from  a  distance,  "I 
but  shot  to  kill  an  owl  as  it  flew  before  the  moon." 

"It  is  well.  But  go,  Pedro,  for  the  coyotes 
scamper  toward  the  thicket  at  the  break  of  day. ' ' 

Far  away  the  voice  came  back.     "I  go. " 

Before  the  silence  was  complete  again,  Mystica 
heard  the  clear  tones  of  Silveric  calling  her  to  come 
down.  "Has  he  shot  you  with  the  arrow?"  he  asked, 
breathlessly.  "We  have  not  a  moment  to  waste," 
he  went  on,  measuring  with  his  eye  the  height  of  the 
moon. 

After  filling  a  sheepskin  bag  with  dried  mutton 
and  grapes,  they  slipped  quietly  past  the  spring  and 
on  through  the  night.  As  they  walked,  Silveric 
asked  where  the  girl  had  been. 

"In  the  west,  searching  for  the  hiding  place  of 
the  sun,"  she  answered. 

"And  where  did  it  set?"  asked  Silveric,  remem 
bering  that  his  brother  Diego  was  named  after  the 
setting  sun. 

"From  my  home  I  could  see  it   sink  among  the 


1«  MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT. 

low  hills,"  she  said.  "But  I  found  that  it  set  still 
farther  west,  in  the  valleys.  Then  I  came  on  to  the 
valleys,  but  even  yet  I  have  not  found  it.  When  you 
saw  me  on  the  hill-top  I  was  lost." 

Far  in  the  east  the  sun  crept  up  into  the  heavens. 
As  it  rose  it  reflected  its  burning  flame  squarely 
against  the  hills  to  the  westward.  The  groves  of  bare 
cactus  and  the  leafless  bush  in  the  valley  below  were 
mirroring  the  same  steady  glare.  The  shadows  of  the 
dawning  had  given  way  to  the  brightness  of  mid-day. 

Presently  Silveric  stopped  under  the  shade  of  a 
live  oak.  "The  sun  burns  to-day,"  he  complained, 
looking  at  her  curiously. 

"If  the  heat  were  my  only  trouble,"  she  said 
slowly,  "I  would  be  well  content." 

"Are  you  lonely,  Mystica?"  asked  Silveric,  "or 
does  my  presence  comfort  you?" 

There  was  no  reply. 

"  Would  you  rather  die  out  herein  the  moun 
tains  than  live  with  my  people?"  he  persisted,  look 
ing  into  her  eyes. 

"I  want  to  live  with  you  always,  Silveric," 
she  sobbed,  as  he  took  her  in  his  arms.  "But  let  us 
go  to  my  home,  and  I  promise  you  one-half  of  my 
father's  authority.  Is  not  power  greater  to  you  than 
wealth?  Sheep  live  and  sheep  die>  but  my  father's 
authority  lives  on  with  the  life  of  his  people.  If  he 
will  not  consent,  do  with  me  as  you  will." 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  17 


CHAPTER  II. 

SILVERIC    ENTRAPPED. 

Suddenly  a  sound  caught  the  girl's  ear.  She 
listened  a  moment  in  doubt.  A  faint  bark  came  out 
of  the  distance,  then  another. 

"My  father's  hounds  !"  cried  Mystica. 

Silveric  sprang  upon  a  boulder,  from  which  he 
could  see  the  country  in  all  directions.  Fora  moment 
neither  spoke.  It  was  the  girl  who  broke  the  silence. 

"Hide!"  she  whispered,  "hide!" 

With  a  bound  he  reached  a  dense  thicket  of  man- 
zanito  trees.  It  was  a  poor  place,  but  there  was  no 
time  to  lose.  Already  the  hounds  were  racing  down 
the  sloping  hill-side.  As  they  reached  her  the  great 
dogs  sprang  toward  her  with  glad  cries  of  recognition. 
The  next  instant  her  father's  arms  were  around  her. 

But  even  as  the  Indian  escorts  were  dancing 
about  the  group,  the  hounds  scented  their  prey,  and 
neared  the  thicket.  Silveric  offered  up  a  prayer  to 
the  Acron  Gods,  and  as  he  prayed,  there  came  to  him 
a  new  sound,  the  barking  of  other  hounds.  With  a 
joyful  cry  he  recognized  the  dogs.  "They  are  mine," 


18  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

he  told  himself  exultingly,  "mine,  mine ;  my  Ri- 
azer,  my  Papet,  my  Arnie!" 

But  they  were  not  here.  One  of  the  others 
sprang  at  him  and  fastened  its  sharp  teeth  in  his 
thigh.  He  tried  to  frighten  it  off,  but  his  voice  was 
pitifully  weak.  Then,  with  a  rush  that  bore  all  be 
fore  them,  his  faithful  hounds  were  upon  the  onemy. 

The  fight  was  short.  Outnumbered,  cowed  by 
the  savageness  of  the  newcomers,  and  lacking  their 
fierceness,  the  two  dogs  were  soon  dead,  fairly  torn 
to  pieces.  Silveric 's  hounds  were  bleeding  from 
many  wounds  and  crept  to  the  friendly  shelter  of  the 
manzanito  thicket. 

Silveric  sprang  from  his  hiding  place.  "My 
hounds  have  power,  Mystica,  as  could  shake  the 
granite  mountains."  He  called  each  by  name,  and 
it  came  running  to  him.  With  a  word  of  encourage 
ment,  he  made  them  attack  the  two  escorts,  and  they 
closed  in  upon  the  frightened  men  witli  gnashing 
teeth  and  low  growls.  As  they  fought^Chief  Algooat, 
Mystica's  father,  fitted  an  arrow  to  his  bow.  But 
Silveric  was  watching,  and  grappled  him  on  the  in 
stant.  The  chief  was  old  and  Silveric  easily  threw 
him  to  the  ground. 

"Don't  kill  my  father,"  cried  Mystica,  as  she 
saw  Arnie,  the  third  hound,  catch  him  by  the 
shoulder.  After  a  minute,  Silveric  called  off  the 
beast.  But  he  stood  with  folded  arms  while  the 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  19 

hounds  killed  the  escorts,  and  not  till  it  was  all  over 
and  the  two  Indians  lay  on  the  ground,  mangled  and 
torn  beyone  recognition,  did  Silveric  regret  what  he 
had  done. 

It  was  late  in  the  day  before  the  sad  scene  of 
the  morning  conflict  was  left  behind.  The  hounds 
remained  with  Silveric  till  he  decided  all  danger  past 
and  sent  them  back  to  guard  the  sheep.  Chief  Al- 
gooat  soon  won  his  confidence  by  making  many  prom 
ises,  and  the  youth  rapidly  yielded  to  the  cunning  of 
the  old  man.  He  little  comprehended  that  he  was 
being  spurred  on  into  prolonged  captivity  by  the 
lashes  of  love,  for  all  risks  were  now  hidden  in  Mys- 
tica  Algooat  and  the  promises  of  her  father.  And  so 
that  evening  the  three  sat  warming  themselves  before 
a  little  fire  high  up  in  the  mountains. 

UI  suppose  I  am  a  foolish  youth,  my  chief," 
said  Silveric,  for  the  first  time  thinking  of  what  lie 
had  given  up  to  follow  Mystica. 

"Rather  a  wise  youth,"  responded  the  old  chief, 
gravely,  turning  to  Mystica  and  pointing  to  her  beau 
tiful  hair. 

"Am  I  wholly  intoxicated  with  love  for  her?" 
Silveric  asked  himself,  "or  am  I  crazed?" 

Early  the  next  morning  Silveric  proposed  that  he 
start  back,  but  the  old  chief  persuaded  him  to  continue. 

"Why  not  see  my  people?"  he  asked,  as  they 
drew  within  sight  of  a  vast  sea. 


20  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"I  care  little  for  the  vengeance  of  your  people, 
it  is  true,"  Silveric  answered,  "for  if  I  chose  I  could 
call  a  legion  of  hounds  to  fight  for  me." 

"True, "said  the  chief, soberly  ;  "I  had  forgotten 
that  you  were  a  man  of  spirits." 

"They  obey  me  always;  were  I  to  call  to  them 
now  they  would  come  and  tear  you  to  pieces.  See  !" 
And  he  made  a  show  of  calling  to  them. 

"No,  no;  do  not  call  them,"  begged  the  chief, 
in  great  terror. 

Never  before  had  Silveric  seen  the  sun  rising  on 
a  great  inland  sea.  The  sight  was  inspiring,  and  a 
new  world  was  unfolded  to  him. 

"Is  not  the  sea  beautiful?"  asked  Mystiea  pres 
ently,  fearing  his  silence. 

"It  is,  indeed,"  said  Silveric,  gazing  admiringly 
at  the  vast  expanse  of  water,  on  which  the  sun  shone 
brightly. 

"My  daughter,"  interrupted  the  chief,  "i§ 
named  after  the  beauties  of  the  sea." 

"Ah  !"  answered  Silveric,  turning  to  her  as  if  he 
had  never  noticed  her  closely  before,  "she,  too,  ie 
beautiful." 

"The  Goddess  of  the  Sunset  is  an  appropriate 
name,"  went  on  the  chief,  evidently  bent  on  pleas 
ing  the  younger  man. 

Silveric  noticed  the  unusual  graciousness,  and 
asked  the  reason. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  21 

"The  Indian, "explained  Chief  Algooat,  "always 
endeavors  to  please  the  spirits. ' ' 

"Look!"  interrupted  Mystica,  "behold  the  num 
bers  of  my  father's  people  ;  see  how  they  move  yon 
der  along  the  seashore." 

Silveric  followed  her  gaze,  and  there  was  sur 
prise  in  his  voice  when  he  spoke. 

"As  a  flock  of  birds,"  he  said,  wonderingly. 

They  passed  silently  into  the  village.  The  chief 
stopped  once  to  quiet  Silveric's  conversation,  but  the 
Indian  only  laughed  at  him,  asking  him  why  he 
should  fear  the  tribe,  when  he  could  summon  help  at 
any  time. 

"But  if  they  hear  of  your  great  power,"  pleaded 
Mystica,  "they  will  drown  themselves  in  the  sea." 

So  they  stole  on  quietly  till  they  reached  the 
chief's  teepee,  where  Silveric  was  securely  hidden. 
Once  alone,  he  laughed  at  the  way  in  which  he  had 
frightened  the  chief  by  pretending  to  possess  the 
strange  power. 

A  wind  had  been  blowing  all  day.  Toward  night 
it  had  increased  in  violence  till  it  became  a  sea  gale, 
rushing  southward  with  terrific  force.  Silveric  prayed 
to  the  Acron  (rod  for  more  wind,  and  fell  asleep  at 
last,  weary  with  the  long  walk. 

It  was  the  middle  of  the  night  when  he  awoke. 
A  form  was  bending  over  him,  and  a  moment  later  he 
heard  her  whisper  : 


22  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

''Father's  people  are  drowning  themselves." 

"But  what  can  I  do?"  he  asked,  springing  to  his 
feet  in  alarm. 

"Save  them,  Silveric.'1 

"But  I  cannot,"  he  cried,  not  thinking  of  what 
the  assertion  meant. 

"But  you  must,"  she  protested.  "They  have 
cut  their  naked  limbs  till  the  blood  drips  like  water 
into  the  sand.  Father  is  powerless,  for  they  have 
discovered  your  presence.  If  you  cannot  save  them, 
you  must  escape  into  the  mountains,  that  they  may 
be  calmed  when  they  know  you  are  no  longer  here. 
See,  here  are  dried  fish  for  you  to  eat,  and  here  is 
father's  long  bow  and  his  roll  of  arrows.  Go  quickly, 
that  this  storm  that  you  have  created  may  cease." 

For  a  moment  Silveric's  heart  was  filled  with 
joy.  Here  was  the  chance  to  escape  for  which  he 
had  been  longing.  Then  he  thought  of  Mystica,  and 
all  that  he  had  sacrificed  for  her,  and  he  longed  to 
stay.  But  as  he  reasoned  with  himself  the  cries  of 
the  crazed  Indians  came  to  him  from  a  distance,  and 
the  fear  that  they  might  swarm  upon  him  made  him 

g°- 

A  few  steps  from  the  sheltering  teepee  he  heard 

Mystica  sobbing.  He  listened,  and  as  the  cry  rose 
and  died  away,  he  knew  she  was  mourning  for  him. 
He  paused  irresolute  in  the  dark  night.  A  flash  of 
lightning  showed  him  the  path  to  the  mountains,  and 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  23 

with  a  prayer  to  the  Acron  Gods  for  their  blessing 
upon  Mystica,  he  plunged  toward  the  hills. 

High  up  on  the  mountains  Silveric  heard  faintly 
the  whining  of  terror-stricken  beasts.  As  he  paused 
to  listen  a  sudden  fear  overcame  him  and  he  began  to 
pray.  "Oh,  Acron  Gods, "  lie  pleaded,  "give  Silveric 
Sinon  the  power  the  Indians  believe  he  has."  As 
the  wind  caught  up  his  voice,  he  realized  as  never  be 
fore  his  helplessness  among  the  beasts  of  the  moun 
tains. 

He  never  knew  how  long  that  stormy  night  he 
stumbled  about  over  crags  and  cuts  and  close  to  wild 
animals  that  prowled  among  the  rocks.  He  only 
knew,  upon  gaining  his  full  senses,  that  he  had 
been  wandering  all  night,  for  the  great  storm  was 
now  nearly  spent.  He  looked  backward  and  caught 
the  glare  of  many  flickering  fires  in  the  distance.  He 
paused  but  an  instant  and  then  plunged  onward. 

"While  they  lash  themselves  till  the  blood  drips 
to  the  sand,"  he  told  himself,  "I  am  escaping." 

Daylight  broke  at  last,  and  he  made  out  the  one 
granite  peak  that  he  had  known  so  long  and  well.  It 
lay  to  the  east  of  his  home.  A  fierce  determination 
to  go  on  and  on  came  over  him,  and  he  ran  with  all 
his  might,  heedless  of  where  he  went. 

Suddenly  his  foot  caught  and  he  fell  with  a  cry. 
Down  and  down  he  fell  to  the  lowest  depths  of  the 
canyon.  When  consciousness  came  back  to  him  he 


24  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

found  his  ankle  sprained.  There  was  no  water  at 
hand,  and  his  leg  pained  him  severely.  He  was  ut 
terly  disheartened. 

"For  Mystica,"  he  said  scornfully,  "I  have  dis 
inherited  my  riches  in  sheep.  Love  is  vanity."  He 
remembered  how  she  had  driven  him  out  in  the  storm 
and  he  sobbed  as  he  thought  of  it. 

About  him  was  an  endless  reach  of  granite. 
Granite !  Granite !  everywhere  he  looked  was  gran 
ite.  The  torture  on  his  swollen  leg  became  almost 
unbearable,  and  he  rolled  over  on  his  face  as  one  does 
in  death  agony. 

"I  am  a  fool!"  he  told  himself,  bitterly.  "A 
fool!"  And  a  little  later:  "But  no!  Fools  die, I  die." 

He  dozed  off  into  a  disturbed  sleep  presently, and 
woke  to  hear  a  persistent  drip,  drip,  drip  of  water.  It 
clicked  in  his  ears  like  an  unreality,  and  he  listened, 
only  half  believing  it.  But  it  was  true.  Rain  in  the 
mountains  must  have  swollen  the  creeks.  So  Silveric 
breathed  a  prayer  of  thanks  to  his  Acron  God,  and 
dragged  himself  to  the  clear  water  which  he  drank 
eagerly. 

Contented  with  the  presence  of  water,  he  lived 
by  the  little  creek  for  several  days,  eating  dried  fish. 
After  several  days  he  decided  to  move  on,  and  rose 
to  his  feet  with  that  intention.  But  his  ankle  still 
pained  him,  and  he  sank  back  with  a  sob  of  despair, 
wishing  for  life  to  end.  One  night  he  firmly  set  his 


MYST1CA  ALGOOAT.  25 

arrow  in  the  ground,  with  the  head  upward  that  he 
might  fall  upon  it.  But  his  courage  oozed  away,  and 
lie  lay  back  and  cried  instead. 

But  the  days  of  rest  strengthened  the  ankle,  and 
after  a  time  lie  began  to  make  his  way  down  the 
canyon,  at  times  sliding  over  the  steep  granite  ledges, 
and  always  hoping  for  rescue. 

One  day  he  came  upon  a  heap  of  whitened  bones 
and  he  asked  himself  if  he  were  to  be  a  pile  of  bones 
in  the  promised  paradise.  Then  he  laughed  bitterly. 

"1  am  a  fool,"  Silveric  told  himself.  "I  have 
permitted  the  liking  for  a  strange  goddess  to  drag  me 
here  that  I  waste  my  bones  in  the  Indian's  future. 
But  no,  it  cannot  be.  I  have  found  the  hiding  place 
of  the  bad  Indian,  Felix,  and  these  are  the  remains 
of  the  Indians  he  has  killed. " 

Frightened  at  this  discovery  he  glanced  about 
him,  wondering  if  the  enclosure  into  which  he  had 
fallen  had  an  escape.  He  soon  decided  it  had  none. 
As  he  pondered,  he  grew  more  serious,  for  when 
night  came  he  felt  Felix  might  fall  upon  him.  Sil 
veric  realized  his  weakness,  and  time  and  time  again 
he  acknowledged  it  to  the  Acron  God,  asking  for  a 
power  by  which  he  might  win  favor  with  Felix  should 
he  be  discovered. 

Night  came  and  went,  and  still  Silveric  had  not 
seen  Felix.  He  grew  impatient  as  time  passed,  and 
one  day  he  searched  the  enclosure,  finding  a  single 


26  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

heap  of  dry  bones,  which  he  at  once  decided  were 
those  of  Felix.  Happy  over  this  discovery,  he  sat 
down  to  complete  the  eating  of  the  remaining  fish. 
Roughly  folded  in  the  bottom  of  the  little  sack  he 
found  a  small  piece  of  pure  white  fibre.  On  it  were 
these  words  :  "Mystica  Algooat  has  chosen  thee  to 
build  her  tepee."  It  was  signed  in  faultless  hand 
writing,  "Goddess  of  the  Sunset." 

"Does  Mystica  mean  me?"  Silveric  questioned. 
"I  fear  not."  Here-read  it.  "Ah,  but  it  must  be 
so!"  He  examined  the  fibre  more  carefully  and 
found  other  words.  These  he  deciphered  to  read, 
"For  ten  long  summers  have  I  written  this  decision." 
At  this  message  Silveric  hung  his  head  for  many  min 
utes.  At  last  he  said  soberly,  "Either  I  must  go 
back  to  the  sea,  or  like  a  youth  of  little  character  flee 
further  into  the  mountains.  Both  I  cannot  do."  So 
after  arguing  with  himself,  he  finally  decided  first 
to  go  home  and  then  to  cross  the  mountains  to  re 
claim  Mystica. 

Further  back  in  a  darkened  corner  of  this  stone 
enclosure  Silveric  discovered  many  well-strung  bows 
and  full  rolls  of  arrows.  In  sheepskin  bags  he  found 
great  quantities  of  dried  meat  and  grapes  and  even 
fermented  grape  juice.  Proud  as  he  was  over  his 
discovery,  he  did  not  forget  to  promise  his  sacred 
Acron  God  that  he  would  be  a  better  man. 

It  was  broad  day  many  moons  later  when  Silveric 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  27 

left  the  stoiie  enclosure  for  the  purpose  of  seeing 
once  more  his  old  home.  As  he  stood  upon  a  bluff 
overlooking  his  father's  tepee,  the  shades  of  night 
were  just  settling.  Far  to  the  westward,  through  the 
shadows  of  evening,  he  outlined  faintly  above  the 
horizon  great  clouds  of  smoke,  as  if  stirred  by  the 
hoofs  of  many  sheep.  In  silence  he  watched  the 
clouds  float  across  the  crimson  sky.  Moments  passed 
before  he  gave  way  and  when  he  did  he  said  soberly, 
"I  see  what  is  to  me  a  lost  inheritance." 
Then  Silveric  Sinon  cried  like  a  child. 


28  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A    GREAT    FEAST    INAUGURATED. 

Silveric  looked  up  suddenly  and  beheld  another 
scene.  His  eyes  told  him  it  was  a  battle  such  as  his 
father  had  taught  him  was  fought  long  years  before 
his  birth.  Young  Silveric,  fearing  not  death,  only 
laughed  at  the  thought  of  being  killed  by  an  arrow. 
And  so  a  great  longing  for  war  came  over  Silveric, 
and  without  thinking  of  the  results,  he  ran  swiftly 
down  the  mountain  side  to  his  father's  tepee. 

''Unknown  Indians  born  out  of  the  rocks  in  a 
single  day  have  come  to  destroy  us,"  gasped  faintly 
an  old  woman  to  whom  Silveric  applied  for  informa 
tion. 

Puzzled  by  the  expression,  he  ran  on  to  his 
father's  tepee.  It  was  deserted.  Silveric's  heart 
was  touched  to  the  core  ;  so  he  only  paused  to  refresli 
himself  by  a  drink  of  grape  juice,  and  then  ran  for 
ward  to  join  the  battle. 

Night  was  fast  mantling  the  fighting  Indians  as 
he  drew  near  them.  Still,  he  could  distinguish  the 
arrows  rising  and  planting  themselves  in  the  low, 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  29 

bushy  thickets.  Heedless  of  the  many  warning  cries, 
he  plunged  deep  into  the  conflict.  His  good  Acron 
God  had  whispered  to  him  to  be  brave,  and  he  feared 
his  father  might  be  overpowered  at  the  front.  His 
courage  rose  high  as  he  swept  through  his  fellows, and 
they  seemed  to  recognize  their  leader. 

The  closing  shades  of  night  soon  hid  the   fighters 

on  either  side,  and  the  conflict  closed  without  a  victor. 

"Oh,  my  good  son,    Silveric!"   the    good  judge 

cried,  as  he  threw  his  arms  about  the   young    man. 

"You  have  saved  your  father  in  his  old  age." 

"Yes,  I  have  saved  my  father,"  Silveric  repeated 
dully,  and  fell  to  the  ground,  weakened  by  an  arrow 
in  his  side. 

The  Indians  who  examined  him  announced  that 
though  Silveric  had  received  a  very  painful  wound  it 
would  not  necessarily  be  fatal.  They  were  right,  for 
during  the  night,  Silveric,  strengthened  by  a  sound 
sleep,  stirred  himself  to  inquire  the  result  of  the 
battle. 

"Without  a  result,"  replied  a  stalwart  es 
cort  of  his  father  ;  "the  darkness  has  saved  us  from 
defeat.  Our  chief  has  been  slain  and  as  we  have  no 
leader  we  are  about  to  give  up  to  the  enemy. ' '  An 
early  surrender  was  all  for  which  the  Indians  could 
hope. 

With  the  moon's  rising,  Judge  Sinon called  fora 
gathering  of  his  most  trusted  followers.  They  were 


30  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

to  plan  as  to  the  manner  of  acknowledging  defeat. 
The  promise  of  this  surrender  weighed  heavily  upon 
proud  Silveric,  and  his  plans  alternated  between  two 
courses  of  action.  One  was  to  kill  himself  and  avoid 
the  disgrace  of  defeat ;  the  other  was  to  tlee  to  the 
stone  enclosure  high  up  in  the  mountains  from  which 
point  he  could  revenge  the  severe  treatment  to  which 
his  father  would  be  subjected  in  the  hands  of  his 
captors. 

"I  shall  escape  into  the  mountain,"  was  his  first 
decision.  He  ran  a  little  way  and  then  stopped.  "I 
am  a  fool  to  be  afraid,"  he  reconsidered.  "I  shall 
present  myself  as  one  possessing  the  power  of  calling 
the  hounds."  And  he  turned  toward  the  hills  that 
gleamed  with  many  little  fires. 

''Hold  back,  Chief  Algooat's  brave  fighter," 
came  the  words,  as  he  drew  within  the  light  of  the 
first  flickering  fire. 

"I  hold  back — no  !  "  he  said.  UI  have  a  message 
my  father  sends  to  the  enemy  ;  will  you  take  it?" 

"Bring  it  here."  Silveric  acquiesced. 

"I  shall  ;''  and  soon  he  stood  facing  a  young  In 
dian  woman. 

"Who  are  you,"  Silveric  asked,  "that  without 
the  power  of  the  hounds  dares  interrupt  me?" 

"I  interrupt  anyone  save  the  man  of 'spirits,  by 
name  Silveric  Sinon." 

"Yes,  and  who  is  this  Silveric?" 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  31 

"He  herds  the  sheep  far  down  the  valley." 
"I  am  more  powerful  than  he,   maiden.     Come 
with  me."  Silveric  gripped  the  young  Indian  woman 
by  the  wrist  and  led  her  down    the  hillside.      "Now 
tell  me  again,  who  is  this  Silveric?" 

"He  herds  the  sheep  far  down  the  valley,"  was 
the  reply,  as  before. 

"What  is  your  name,  and  whose  child  are  you?" 
he  asked  abruptly. 

"Ah,  young  man,  Silveric  Sinon,  of  whom  I 
speak,  once  asked  me  the  same  question  ;  you  are  not 
he?"  Then  she  added  quickly,  "He  isasgraceful  of 
stature  as  you." 

"Yes,  and  who  are  you?" 

"I  am  Mystica  Algooat,  the  Goddess  of  tfie 
Sunset." 

"Is  it  possible?"  Silveric  gasped,  pausing  as  if 
to  study  out  some  decision. 

"I  owe  Silveric  Sinon  my  beauty,  and  without 
him  I  die  alone,"  added  the  young  Indian  woman, 
arousing  silent  Silveric. 

"Oh,  good  Acron  Gods,"  he  breathed  in  thanks. 
Then  he  turned  to  the  girl.  "I  am  Silveric  Sinon," 
he  told  her. 

"See,  Silveric,  for  you  be  he,  the  dawn  is  break 
ing;  take  this  message  to  your  father."  Mystica  un 
folded  a  small  sheet  of  pure  white  fibre. 

"What  does    it   mean?"    Silveric    asked    suspi- 


32  MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT. 

ciously,  doubting  its  value,  and  fearing  that  by  this 
means  Mystica  would  escape  him. 

"It  means  peace  between  your  father's  people 
and  mine,'' she  answered.  "Be  away,  Silveric ;  I 
cannot  wait  longer  than  the  breaking  of  the  day." 

So  Silveric  took  the  little  sheet  of  fibre,  and  ran 
to  deliver  the  message. 

"Peace!  Ah,  Chief  Algooat  says  peace!"  Sil 
veric  cried,  as  he  stumbled  in  before  his  father. 

"Chief  Algooat  says  peace,"  repeated  the  old 
man,  "and  who  is  he?" 

"Chief  of  the  Indians  by  the  inland  sea.  His 
people  are  as  many  as  the  rocks  upon  the  hills,  and 
their  arrows  as  the  leaves  upon  the  trees.  To  please 
Mystica,  Chief  Algooat  spares  us  defeat." 

"I  fear  the  terms  are  severe." 

"No,  father,  for  all  are  to  live  in  peace,  he  to 
become  chieftain,  and  you  to  remain  judge." 

"You  are  mine!  mine!  mine!"  Silveric  told 
Mystica,  as  he  folded  her  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her. 
"Show  me  to  your  father,  for  he  knows  well  of  me." 

"I  shall,  Silveric,  and  gladly. " 

Presently  he  was  ushered  into  the  presence  of 
her  father,  "Is  this  the  man  with  the  power  of 
many  hounds?"  asked  Chief  Algooat,  recognizing  Sil 
veric  the  moment  he  stepped  within  the  light  of  the 
fire. 

"I  am  he,"  Silveric  replied  firmly,  retaining   an 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  33 

authoritative  poise.  "Fortunately,  you  sent  the 
message  just  in  time,  Chief,  for  I  was  talking  seri 
ously  of  destroying  you  and  your  followers  with  a  le 
gion  of  hounds." 

"To  be  certain,  I  sent  Mystica  with  the  message 
of  peace  long  ago,"  Chief  Algooat  replied,  as  though 
fearful  of  Silveric's  great  power. 

"Fortunately  you  did,  for  without  those  easy 
terms  I  should  not  have  spared  you  until  morning 
breaks.  Come  Chief  Algooat,"  and  Silveric  led  the 
way  to  the  camp  of  his  father,  the  judge.  Here  lie 
watched  through  the  strange  ceremonies  by  which  the 
chief  and  judge  signed  articles  of  peace. 

Immediately  on  either  side  orders  were  given  out 
that  not  an  arrow  be  set  in  the  bow,  nor  the  sign  be 
heard  for  battle.  All  were  for  consultation  in  the 
open  valley,  and  so  the  universal  command  brought 
together  the  Indians  of  the  valley  and  the  Indians  of 
the  sea. 

With  the  shades  of  night  falling,  the  Indian 
court  closed,  fullest  terms  of  peace  being  agreed 
upon.  A  feast  was  in  order,  and  the  Indian  women 
were  soon  busily  spreading  out  upon  the  sheepskins 
great  quantities  of  dried  meat  and  grapes,  while  the 
young  men  brought  forth  vessels  of  fermented  grape 
juice. 

So  successful  had  been  the  first  night's  reception, 
and  so  plenteous  and  dainty  the  spread,  that  the  In- 


34  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

diansof  the  sea, without  a  moment's  consideration,  beg 
ged  to  be  allowed  to  transfer  all  they  possessed  over 
the  mountains  to  what  seemed  to  be  a  new  Paradise. 

By  the  next  day  the  grape  juice,  of  which  each 
had  drunk  freely,  was  having  a  marked  effect. 
Friendly  indulgence  was  fast  turning  into  drunken 
revelry.  The  festive  spread  was  now  losing  its 
charm,  and  presently  the  planet  dance  was  substi 
tuted  in  its  stead.  Around  Chief  Algooat  and  Judge 
Sinon  the  Indians  danced  wildly.  To  increase  the 
excitement,  at  times  a  single  dancer,  crazed  by  drink, 
would  jump  in  by  the  side  of  the  chief  or  judge,  and 
to  the  delight  of  the  others  cut  his  naked  body  until 
from  the  loss  of  blood  he  would  faint.  Like  a  slain 
brute  he  was  dragged  away,  but  soon  another  dancer 
would  perform  the  same  feat.  When  the  night's 
ceremonies  were  ended,  Algooat  was  duly  crowned 
Chief,  Sinon  Judge,  Mystica,  (ioddess  of  the  Sunset, 
and  Silveric  heir  to  the  tribe's  riches  in  sheep. 

Broad  day  broke  upon  the  dancers,  and  one  by 
one  they  disbanded,  each  to  search  for  some  quiet, 
shady  spot  where  he  might  lie  down  and  sleep.  An 
other  nightfall,  and  the  dancing  and  feasting  were 
resumed,  the  ties  of  friendship  still  kept  hot  in  the 
process  of  welding.  At  length  the  festivity  drew 
near  its  close.  Industriously  the  Indians  began  the 
task  of  tarrying  over  the  mountains  that  which  each 
possessed. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  35 

As  the  time  passed  Chief  A'lgooat  saw  that  the 
vast  enclosure  about  the  village  of  the  valley  Indians 
was  far  too  small,  and  so  one  day  in  the  Indian 
Court  he  ordered  it  torn  away.  His  words  were  : 
"Spread  out  with  your  homes  and  inhabit  the  valley 
from  the  rising  of  the  sun  in  the  east  to  its  setting  in 
the  west. "  The  size  of  the  tribe  of  valley  Indians 
was  soon  so  large  that  its  former  smallness  was  for 
gotten,  becoming,  as  it  seemed,  in  a  single  moon,  a 
tribe  with  members  as  many  as  the  grapes  upon  the 
vines  in  the  lowlands. 

As  the  first  days  passed,  all  attention  was  given 
to  the  tribe's  early  prosperity.  Old  and  unsafe 
tepees  were  taken  down,  and  in  their  places  new 
ones  of  mud  brick,  with  thatched  roofs  were  erected. 
The  stagnant. pool  of  water  out  of  which  the  Indians 
had  long  drunk  was  condemned,  and  to  supply  the 
wants  of  the  people  wholesome  water  resources  were 
developed.  Everywhere  was  improvement. 

In  due  time  Silveric  Sinon  brought  before  his 
father  his  claim  to  the  tribe's  riches  in  sheep.  He 
had  learned  that  Diego  had  become  the  heir  on  the 
grounds  of  his  brother's  supposed  death.  So  Silveric 
denounced  Diego's  claim,  but  he  was  loath  to  push 
the  matter  because  of  the  fact  that  Diego  had  divided 
the  inheritance  with  Theophilus  Algooat,  a  brother 
of  Mystica. 

Judge  Sinon  was  sore  at  heart.     Often  in  imagi- 


36  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

nation  he  had  pictured  the  conflict  in  which  Silveric 
slew  Diego.  There  was  but  one  thing  to  do,  how 
ever,  and  in  the  secrecy  of  the  court  he  gave  a  deci 
sion  awarding  to  Silveric  the  inheritance.  Silveric 
now  hastened  before  the  two  men,  quick  to  present 
his  claim.  The  instant  Diego  and  Theophilus  heard 
of  the  decision  they  were  angry.  With  vengeance  in 
their  hearts,  they  ran  to  their  homes,  gathered  up  a 
small  bag  of  dried  mutton  and  grapes,  and  fled  to 
gether  to  the  mountains,  to  be  alone  with  their  plot- 
tings. 

Many  suns  rose  and  set  before  they  returned.  In 
the  meantime  Mystica  watched  with  Silveric  as  he 
sat  by  his  sheep.  As  the  animals  nibbled  all  about 
them,  Silveric  told  the  girl  of  many  things,  and  the 
time  came  when  they  whispered  tales  of  love. 

After  the  friendship  had  given  way  to  something 
more,  Silveric  told  Mystica  of  the  stone  enclosure  high 
up  in  the  mountains.  One  day  the  eclipse  of  the  sun 
came  to  him  as  a  sign,  and  he  studied  long  the  shad 
ows  to  discover  its  meaning.  His  heart,  he  decided, 
was  shaded  like  unto  the  sun.  "One  shall  be  like 
the  other,"  he  told  himself,  "for  some  disaster  is 
creeping  upon  me."  So  he  became  very  grave,  and 
one  day  went  so  far  as  to  ask  Mystica  to  flee  with  him 
to  the  stone  enclosure  to  live  there  alone  with  him 
unmolested.  But  the  girl  was  far-seeing,  and  over 
turned  Silveric's  plans  with  a  firm  reply. 


MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT.  37 

"No  Silveric,"  she  said,  "the  Goddess  of  the 
Sunset  does  not  want  to  disgrace  herself  by  living  in 
a  stone  enclosure  haunted  by  the  spirit  of  a  bad 
man . ' ' 

"A  curt  reply  I  have  received,"'  and  Silveric 
hung  his  head. 

"All  is  for  the  best,"  Mystica  said  gently.  Then 
she  asked  him  to  tell  her  of  more  pleasant  things. 

"You  are  very  strict  with  me,  Mystica  ''  he  re 
plied,  soberly,  as  though  he  were  fast  losing  all  hope 
of  having  her  by  his  side  through  his  declining  years. 

"I  do  it  for  the  best,  Silverie,"  was  all  she  would 
say. 

Now  Silveric  had  won  favor  with  her  father,  the 
chief,  by  his  frequent  calls  at  the  tepee.  So  as  time 
went  on  he  was  given  a  glad  consent  when  he  asked 
to  marry  her.  The  threats  of  Diego  and  Theophilus 
were  almost  forgotten. 

But  early  one  morning  they  returned.  Secreting 
themselves  just  before  Chief  Algooat's  tepee,  they 
waited  for  Silveric,  concluding  rightly  that  he  would 
be  coming  to  get  Mystica  to  watch  the  sheep  during 
the  day.  They  calculated  well,  for  Silveric,  true  as 
the  sun-rise,  came  slowly  over  the  trail  leading  to  the 
tepee.  They  heard  the  low  hum  of  his  favorite  love 
chants  and  they  knew  he  was  happy.  He  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  two  young  plotters  as  he  came  along, 
but  thinking  they  were  youths  playing  some  game  he 


88  MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT. 

passed    them    by    without    a    thought    of    danger. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  loud  cheer,  and  Theophilus 
urged  his  hounds  upon  Silveric,  who  turned  and  fled 
for  the  open  door  of  Chief  Algooat's  tepee.  But 
the  hounds  were  far  too  fleet  of  foot  for  poor  Silveric 
and  were  fast  overtaking  him.  He  gave  a  single  call 
for  help,  and  in  another  instant  Mystica  came  running 
to  his  rescue.  She  heat  away  the  hounds  till  they 
cowed  at  her  feet.  The  next  instant  Silveric  spoke 
angrily  to  Theophilus,  telling  him  that  should  he  ever 
again  attempt  such  a  trick  he  would  call  upon  Judge 
Sinon  for  sentence. 

The  words  set  Mystica  to  pondering,  ami  know 
ing  that  her  lover  meant  them  and  realizing  the  pos 
sible  consequences,  she  reproved  her  brother  sharply. 
But  he,  being  only  a  boy  at  heart,  laughed  at  her 
words  of  warning,  and  as  soon  as  he  h.id  another 
chance  repeated  the  offense.  For  a  second  time  Mys 
tica  reproved  him,  but  he  only  laughed  and  ran 
around  the  tepee. 

Diego  and  Theophilus  were  soon  fleeing  across 
the  mountains  toward  tiie  deserted  village  by  the  sea, 
to  there  await  till  the  excitement  abated  before  ven 
turing  back.  It  was  many  moons  later  when  they  re 
turned,  to  find  the  Indians  happily  conducting  the 
feast  in  honor  of  the  plenteous  rain.  Here  they  were 
gathered  dancing,  there  chanting  festival  songs.  Not 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  39 

u  few  were  drunk  and  in  their  intoxication  groveling 
in  the  dust. 

When  Diego  and  Thoophilus  crept  close  to  the 
camp,  the  feast  was  at  its  highest  pitch.  The  planet 
dances  were  the  order  of  the  celebration,  and  in  har 
mony  each  dancer  circled  round  and  round  upon  a 
great  spread  of  sheepskin. 

"See,  there  is  Silveric  dancing  with  my  sister," 
whispered  Theophilus  to  Diego.  "I'll  trip  him  up  if 
you  will  wrestle  with  him,  should  lie  demand  it." 

"I  will,"  firmly  replied  Diego,  straightening 
himself  as  if  to  show  Theophilus  the  muscles  of  his 
legs. 

Round  and  round  circled  the  planet  dancers,  each 
turn  bringing  the  couple  nearer  and  nearer. 

"Now  for  his  fall,"  Theophilus  shouted,  as  he 
braced  himself  close  by  the  outer  circle. 

In  a  minute  the  chance  came.  Theophilus  tripped 
Silveric,  felling  him  upon  his  back.  But  the  warrior 
was  up  in  a  second,  and  in  another  armed  with  a 
large  stone  ax. 

"Where  is  the  tempter?''  he  asked  an  Indian 
gruffly. 

"There,"  said  one,  pointing  out  Theophilus. 

"You  !"  shouted  Silveric,  in  great  rage,  striking 
at  him  with  his  weapon.  Diego  had  quickly  turned 
and  fled,  but  Theophilus  was  more  easily  overtaken, 
and  in  another  moment  Silveric  had  killed  him. 


40  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

The  awful  crime  was  now  done,  and  Diego,  like 
a  boy  fearful  of  the  consequences  of  his  act,  ran  to 
his  home.  Mystica  Algooat,  wondering  what  had 
happened,  asked  Silveric  to  join  her  in  the  final  bow 
before  the  planets. 

"I  have  killed  Theophilus,"  Silveric  answered 
coolly. 

"Not  my  brother?''  she  gasped. 

"I  did,  for  I  thought  he  would  be  better  dead 
than  alive." 

"Oh,  God  of  the  Waters,"  wailed  Mystica,  run 
ning  hither  and  thither  in  search  of  her  father. 
"Theophilus  is  dead,''  she  moaned  again.  And  the 
cry  was  taken  up  and  drowned  in  a  babel  of  tongues 
by  the  Indian  dancers. 

Chief  Alirooat  tightened  his  lips  when  he  heard 
it.  "Silveric  must  be  instantly  killed,"  he  com 
manded. 

For  the  first  time  search  for  the  slayer  was  be- 
ii-un.  It  soon  proved  to  be  too  late,  for  he  was  no 
where  to  be  seen.  The  Indians  conceived  the  idea 
that  he  had  been  spirited  away  to  the  mountains,  and 
of  a  truth  he  was  fleeing  far  up  into  the  towering 
hills,  murmuring  as  he  ran,  "I  shall  inhabit  the  stone 
enclosure  and  become  a  bad  man  like  Felix.'' 

So  he  crept  to  the  stone  enclosure  and  hid  him 
self  in  a  dark  corner.  Here  lie  lived  for  many  moons. 

Early  one  evening,    months  later,  for    the    first 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  41 

time  since  his  flight,  he  stood  looking  down  upon  the 
home  from  which  he  had  been  driven.  The  Indians 
were  prospering  now,  it  seemed.  The  sheep  were 
feeding  upon  the  green  pastures,  and  this  of  itself 
made  his  heart  sore. 

"I  have  been  robbed  of  my  riches,"  he  told  him 
self,  bitterly,  "and  even  if  I  should  get  them  back 
they  will  be  taken  from  me  again.  Nothing  is  left 
now  but  revenge."  And  stamping  his  foot  fiercely, 
he  turned  his  back  upon  the  scene  and  was  gone. 

This  time  he  went  even  further  back  into  the 
mountains  to  gather  poisonous  berries  out  of  which 
he  might  obtain  a  deadly  extract.  This  he  wrould  spill 
in  the  springs,  he  determined,  and  the  many  Indians 
drinking  from  them  would  be  poisoned. 

Only  a  fejw  moons  had  passed  before  he  stood 
once  more  upon  the  bluff  overlooking  his  home.  Upon 
one  shoulder  he  was  steadying  a  great  stone  vessel 
containing  the  poisonous  extract  he  had  cunningly 
made.  For  a  long  time  he  stood  in  silence,  looking 
down  upon  the  spring  as  it  oozed  past  the  tepee  of 
Chief  Algooat.  He  wished  the  chief  to  die,  but  he 
dared  nor  poison  the  spring  lest  another,  one  dear  to 
him  even  yet,  should  drink  from  it.  For  Mystica 
had  always  been  true  to  Silveric,  and  even  as  he  stood 
there  now  he  was  ready  to  admit  it. 

"No,"  he  said  ,  "I  cannot.  Sooner  would  I  drink 
of  it  myself  than  allow  it  to  poison  Mystica  Algooat. ' ' 


42  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SILVERIC  SINON  THE  TAUQUITZ  OR  EVIL  SPIRIT. 

Silveric  was  about  to  break  the  jar  and  spill  the 
extract  upon  the  ground,  but  even  as  he  was  putting 
his  thought  into  action  his  eye  caught  sight  of  the 
flock  of  sheep.  The  thought  of  these  having  been 
robbed  from  him  rekindled  the  passion  within  his 
heart,  and  thirsting  for  revenge  he  crept  down  the 
bluff  toward  the  spring.  For  a  moment  he  looked 
into  the  clear  water,  but  he  could  not  poison  it  with 
the  knowledge  that  Mystica  Algooat  would  drink  from 
it.  Openly  and  to  his  Acron  God,  he  renounced  the 
attempt  he  had  made  at  her  life,  and  stole  back  to 
the  bluff.  Once  more  he  looked  toward  the  valley, 
and  once  more  his  eye  rested  upon  the  flock  of  sheep. 
For  the  third  time  revenge  was  in  his  heart,  this  time 
too  strong  to  be  overcome.  Down  the  valley,  as  he 
well  knew,  were  other  springs  and  into  these  he  de 
termined  to  scatter  the  drops  of  poison  he  had  pre 
pared.  He  made  haste  to  do  this,  and  then  stole 
quietly  back  to  the  thicket,  from  which  he  watched 
the  Indians  come  with  their  jars  to  dip  the  poisoned 
water. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  43 

Once  he  felt  a  sharp  pang  of  conscience.  A 
maiden  whom  he  loved  almost  as  dearly  as  he  did 
Mystica  came  to  the  spring,  filled  her  jar,  and  walked 
back  over  the  hill — to  death.  The  knowledge  that 
he  had  poisoned  her  so  affected  Silveric  that  on  the 
spur  of  the  moment  he  hurled  the  jar  upon  the  ground 
in  horror,  breaking  it  into  a  hundred  pieces. 

"I  will  kill  myself,"  he  swore,  and  turned  and 
ran  into  the  mountains. 

After  a  few  moons  of  concealment,  he  ventured 
back  to  his  vantage  point,  from  which  he  could  see  the 
people  whom  he  was  attempting  to  exterminate.  As 
he  glanced  upon  them  for  the  first  time,  tears  sprang 
to  his  eyes.  Only  a  few  moved  in  and  out  among  the 
deserted  tepees.  Nearer  at  hand,  with  the  sod  yet 
freshly  turned,  were  scores  of  graves. 

Frightened  at  the  terrible  success  of  his  scheme, 
Silveric  crouched  low  till  the  sun  set.  A  great  dread 
was  upon  him  ;  he  wished  to  discover  if  his  father  or 
any  dear  to  him,  had  perished  by  his  hand.  "With 
nightfall  he  ventured  into  the  village.  He  went  first 
to  the  tepee  of  a  maiden  who  had  long  been  true  to 
him  ;  it  lay  white  and  deserted,  with  the  gloom  of 
death  all  about.  With  a  great  sorrow  gnawing  at 
his  heart,  he  crept  toward  the  newly  made  graves. 
At  last  he  found  it,  pitifully  bare  and  gaunt.  On 
the  white  sheepskin  were  the  words  :  "Blucheal  Lai- 
lea,  whose  breath  was  taken  away  by  Tauquitz." 


44  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"By  Tauquitz,"  repeated  Silveric  to  himself. 
"By  Tauquitz;  it  means  by  an  evil  spirit  of  the 
mountains."  And  the  fear  left  him,  and  a  sense  of 
his  power  and  greatness  took  its  place.  He  laughed 
a  little,  and  parted  his  lips  as  he  promised  the  gran 
ite  mountains  that  he  would  campaign  against  the 
Indians.  Surely  he  was  insane  ;  for  he  turned  in  the 
darkness  and  ran  headlong  back  to  his  stone  enclo 
sure,  boasting  of  his  prowess  should  another  spirit  rise 
up  to  stay  him. 

A  few  more  moons  passed,  and  again  he  stood 
looking  upon  the  village.  This  time  there  was  no 
sorrow  in  his  heart,  but  only  gladness.  As  he  watched 
from  the  high  bluff  he  clapped  his  hands  gleefully 
and  cried  aloud  in  his  joy.  For  below  him  he  could 
see  the  Indians  performing  the  M}rsteries  of  Disease, 
and  he  knew  some  dreaded  scourge  or  plague  was 
upon  them  to  help  him  exterminate  the  race. 

The  memory  of  Mystica  Algooat  was  still  frvsh 
in  his  heart,  and  when  night  came  he  crept  into  the 
village  and  searched  among  the  new  graves.  He  read 
many  epitaphs,  but  could  find  none  telling  of  her 
death. 

"But  all  must  die,"  he  swore.  "Before  the 
falling  of  the  leaves  all  must  have  passed  away. 
Twenty  moons  more  and  not  an  Indian  shall  be  alive. ' ' 
And  with  this  vow  Silveric  was  gone. 

The  mission  of  Silveric    Sinon    in    life    may    be 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  45 

questioned.  It  is  probable  that  the  Indians,  though 
industrious,  were  constantly  drinking  of  the  grape 
juice.  The  author  is  convinced  that  Silveric's  course 
in  more  ways  than  one,  was  a  God-send  to  the  tribe, 
if  only  to  keep  them  sober.  The  Tauquitz  was  chosen, 
I  believe,  to  perform  noble  deeds  rather  than  to  ful 
fill  the  mission  of  a  bad  man. 

Only  through  fear  of  total  annihilation  did  Chief 
Algooat  refrain  from  uniting  his  followers  and  hunt- 
out  Tauquitz  in  his  mountain  home,  destroying  him, 
and  returning  home  to  live  sober,  industrious  lives. 

Silveric  lost  all  count  of  time,  but  it  is  probable 
that  many  moons  passed  with  Tauquitz  still  preying 
upon  the  Indians.  The  frequent  deaths  spurred 
Chief  Algooat  to  action.  He  resolved  to  destroy 
Tauquitz  or^be  himself  destroyed.  So  one  morning 
he  crept  from  tepee  to  tepee,  whispering  at  each 
door,  "Arise,  brave  men;  your  chief  says  come." 
And  each  time  the  answer  came  back,  "Yes,  chief, 
do  we  go  to  fight  Tauquitz?"  From  every  tepee 
came  a  stalwart  warrior,  and  soon  Chief  Algooat  felt 
as  one  who  had  unlimited  power ;  for  his  fighters 
were  loyal,  brave  and  strong,  and,  above  all  else, 
thirsting  for  victory  over  Tauquitz.  And  that  morn 
ing  at  sunrise,  the  Indians  performed  mysterious 
feats  before  the  Acron  Tree,  testing  themselves  with 
the  question,  "Have  I  the  courage  to  fight  against  a 
supreme  being?" 


46  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

Early  the  next  day  the  Indians  organized  and 
equipped  themselves  for  the  attack.  On  the  very 
point  of  departure,  Mystica  stepped  to  her  father's 
side  and  asked  if  he  knew  where  to  find  the  terrible 
Tauquitz.  For  a  moment  Chief  Algooat  was  per 
plexed  ;  for  neither  he  nor  his  followers  had  any  idea 
as  to  where  the  bad  man  might  be  discovered.  Mys 
tica  was  thinking  of  the  stone  enclosure  high  up  in 
the  mountains,  of  which  Silveric  had  told  her  ;  but 
she  was  loath  to  speak  of  it.  Then  another  thought 
came  to  her. 

"Father,"  she  said,  "let  me  go  for  three  moons, 
and  if  the  Gods  of  the  Acron  Tree  bless  me  I  shall 
know  the  home  of  Tauquitz  when  I  return." 

"Go,  Mystica,  go,"  prayed  her  father.  And  ev 
ery  Indian  took  up  the  cry  :  "Go,  go !" 

"Yes,  my  daughter,  go,"  commanded  the  chief, 
when  the  cries  had  died  out,  "and  may  the  Acron 
Gods  bless  you  and  my  warriors.  Brothers,  wait  till 
three  moons  have  risen  before  you  call  at  my  tepee, 
when  you  will  find  me  rejoicing  over  Mystica 's 
return,  or  weeping  because  I  believe  she  has 
been  destroyed  by  Tauquitz."  And  although  he 
tried  to  speak  hopefully,  he  had  little  thought 
that  his  daughter  would  escape  the  slayer  who 
lived  high  up  in  the  mountains. 

That  evening  Diego  Sinon  came  to  the  chief's 
tepee.  The  youth  was  rapidly  becoming  a  leader 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  47 

among  the  younger  warriors,  and  there  were  many 
who  predicted  that  he  would  become  chieftain  after 
the  death  of  Algooat.  Mystica  felt  little  pangs  of 
jealousy  when  Diego  chanted  love  songs  with  the 
other  maidens,  and  once  she  had  vowed  to  win  Diego 
for  her  own  or  die  in  the  attempt. 

On  this  evening  she  and  the  youth  chanted  many 
love  songs  and  told  many  tales,  and  when  Diego  at 
last  went  home  Mystica  walked  a  little  way  with  him. 
"Diego  loves  me,"  she  told  herself,  after  he  had 
gone.  "But  Diego  would  marry  a  girl  who  is  brave  ; 
so  will  I  go  into  the  mountains  and  prove  to  him  my 
great  courage." 

That  night  she  swung  in  her  hammock,  trying  to 
refresh  her  memory  as  to  the  location  of  the  stone 
enclosure.  All  that  Silveric  had  told  her  came  back 
presently,  and  well  satisfied  that  she  could  find  it  she 
fell  asleep.  The  earliest  morning  hours,  before  the 
sun  had  appeared  in  the  east,  she  spent  in  humblest 
supplication  to  the  Acron  Gods.  Just  at  sunrise  she 
began  the  ascent  of  the  bushy  foothill  skirting  the 
rear  of  her  home.  It  was  no  little  undertaking  for  a 
maiden  of  twenty- three  to  set  out,  alone,  on  foot,  to 
search  out  a  destroying  demon. 

An  hour's  wandering  brought  her  face  to  face 
with  a  somber  granite  mountain.  Tired  and  discour 
aged,  she  sat  down  to  rest  and  recall  the  directions 
Silveric  had  once  given  her.  The  trail,  she  remem- 


48  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

bered  him  saying,  led  along  the  bottom  of  the  canyon 
in  a  zigzag  course.  A  little  search  showed  her  faint 
footprints.  Slowly  pushing  her  way  forward,  she 
came  suddenly  upon  the  bold  inscription,  carved  upon 
a  great  boulder  :  "An  Indian  passing  further  into  the 
mountains  than  this  shall  be  pursued  and  killed." 

Frightened  as  she  was,  she  was  sure  the  writing 
was  of  a  familiar  hand,  and  she  went  close  to  study 
it.  uAh,  Silveric  Sinon  but  fools  me,"  she  muttered 
contemptuously,  and  pushed  forward  with  renewed 
courage,  laughing  as  she  walked. 

The  trail  presently  led  upward  over  a  high  moun 
tain  ridge.  Here  she  found  another  warning,  similar 
to  the  first.  She  did  not  heed  it,  but  offered  a 
prayer  to  the  Acron  God  and  went  on. 

The  sun  dropped  behind  the  hills  to  the  west. 
The  shadows  thickened  all  about  her.  Coyotes  yelped 
on  every  side.  Her  heart  was  throbbing  painfully, 
and  presently  she  could  see  the  trail  no  longer.  She 
was  lost  in  the  mountains. 

"Silveric,"  she  cried,  "oh,  Silveric  Sinon!" 

Suddenly  her  cries  died  out.  Stalking  from  the 
darkness  was  a  silent  figure. 

"I  am  not  Silveric,"  said  a  gruff  voice,  "but  the 
powerful  Tauquitz."  He  gripped  her  wrist  tightly. 
Together  they  stumbled  along  in  the  darkness.  Once 
she  fell,  and  her  captor  commanded  her  to  walk  more 
carefully.  "You  but  fall  in  fun,"  he  said. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  49 

On  and  on  they  pushed  till  the  night  was  nearly 
spent.  Mystica  was  almost  too  tired  to  walk,  and 
fell  frequently.  At  last,  however,  they  came  to  a 
stone  enclosure,  walled  with  granite.  Into  this  they 
went,  and  her  captor  said  gruffly,  "Stay  here  till  the 
morning  breaks.  To  escape  is  impossible,  and  your 
life  will  pay  the  forfeit  if  you  attempt  it. " 

Badly  frightened,  Mystica  lay  for  a  long  time 
where  she  had  fallen.  She  feared  even  to  speak  to 
her  captor,  as  he  might  become  angry  and  kill  her  at 
once.  At  last,  thoroughly  worn  out,  she  fell  asleep. 

Day  was  breaking  when  she  awoke.  All  about 
her  glistened  the  granite  walls.  Before  her  lay  the 
form  of  a  sleeping  man,  with  a  great  stone  ax  close 
beside  it,  and  several  earthen  vessels  some  distance 
away.  She  could  detect  the  odor  of  fermented  grape 
juice,  and  she  decided  that  her  captor  was  now  intoxi 
cated.  Her  first  thought  was  to  kill  him  with  the  ax 
and  then  escape.  But  the  words  of  an  old  saying 
came  to  her,  "Kill  him  who  kills  thee."  Still,  the 
deed  was  too  great  a  crime,  and  she  let  pass  the  right 
moment,  greatly  through  fear  of  superstition. 

All  through  the  forenoon  Mystica  waited  for 
Tauquitz  to  stir,  but  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon  be 
fore  he  finally  opeued  his  eyes.  He  looked  at  her 
drowsily  for  a  minute. 

"How  did  you  get  here,  you  strange  creature?" 
he  asked. 


50  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

4 'You    brought    me    here,"    Mystica     replied. 

"You  lie,  and  I  can  prove  it.  I  am  Tauquitz, 
and  Tauquitz  brings  none  but  the  dead  to  his  sacred 
domain.  You  must  die. " 

He  lifted  the  great  stone  ax,  and  Mystica  was 
sorely  frightened.  She  looked  at  the  man  in  dread, 
not  knowing  what  to  do  or  say. 

"Would  you  kill  the  Goddess  of  Sunset?"  she 
asked. 

Tauquitz  repeated  the  words.  "The  Goddess  of 
Sunset — the  Goddess  of  Sunset.  Are  you  Mystica 
Algooat,  then?" 

"I  am  none  other,"  answered  the  girl ;  and  are 
you  not  Tauquitz,  who  poisoned  the  spring  and  scat 
tered  disease  among  the  Indians?" 

The  man  laughed.  "How  dare  such  a  frail 
creature  as  you  question  me?"  he  asked.  "But  as 
you  are  weak,  I  do  not  fear  to  answer.  I  am  Tau 
quitz,  and  I  did  poison  the  spring  and  scatter  disease 
among  your  father's  people.  But  you — why  are  you 
wandering  about,  high  up  in  the  mountains?" 

"I  am  searching  for  Silveric  Sinon,"  answered 
Mystica,  simply.  "Have  you  his  bones  secreted?" 

"And  what  would  you  do  with  his  bones?" 

"I  would  worship  them,"  she  said.  "And  I 
know  he  has  passed  this  way,  because  I  saw  his  hand 
writing  on  the  rocks.  I  could  die  for  him,  for  he  and 
I  have  often  watched  the  sheep  together. ' ' 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  51 

"But  Silveric  killed  your  brother." 

"My  brother,  Tauquitz,  was  to  blame,  for  he 
tripped  Silveric." 

"Ah,  Goddess,"  said  the  man  softly,  "you  have 
made  my  stone  heart  tender.  I  know  not  what  to  do ; 
it  seems  the  spirit  of  Felix,  the  bad  Indian,  is  within 
me.  I  drink  of  the  grape  juice  he  made,  and  I  long 
to  destroy  the  Indians.  I  was  drunk  when  I  poisoned 
the  spring.  I — "  he  stopped  as  he  saw  Mystica's 
bright  eyes  upon  him. 

"Are  you  not  Silveric  Sinon?"  she  asked  sud 
denly. 

"Question  me  not,"  he  said,  "for  my  heart 
burns  within  me,  and  my  decision  is  at  fault." 

With  these  words,  Tauquitz  began  once  more  to 
drink  of  the  grape  juice,  and  soon  he  was  lying  on 
the  floor  in  a  drunken  stupor.  Mystica  resolved  to 
make  her  escape,  if  it  were  possible,  and  crept  toward 
the  entrance.  Once  outside,  she  ran  swiftly  down 
the  trail  till  once  more  she  looked  down  upon  her 
father's  own  tepee. 


52  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  GREAT  TAUQUITZ  CAPTURED. 

On  the  day  of  Mystica's  departure  into  the 
mountains,  Roamka  Lugo,  the  skilled  workman  of  the 
tribe,  carved  her  name  in  the  bark  of  the  Sacred 
Acron  Tree.  Judge  Sinon,  passing  by  at  the  time, 
remarked  that  it  was  a  dedication  to  her  sacrifice. 

The  sun  rose  and  set,  and  still  she  did  not  re 
turn.  At  the  appointed  hour,  the  faithful  men  of 
the  tribe  visited  the  tepee  of  the  chief,  where  they 
found  him  lying  on  a  sheepskin  mat  and  crying  bit 
terly.  As  the  time  passed  revenge  surged  into  the 
heart  of  each  Indian  and  was  his  only  thought.  Even 
the  youths  of  but  a  few  summers  were  filled  with  the 
desire  to  destroy  Tauquitz. 

There  was  but  one  hope  left,  that  the  beauty  of 
Mystica  would  win  favor  with  the  evil  spirit.  Rialtez 
Luzon,  to  whom  all  mysteries  were  plain,  was  con 
sulted,  and  answered  with  a  smile,  "Have  no  fear, 
for  even  such  a  hard-hearted  man  as  Tauquitz  would 
fall  in  love  with  the  maiden.  Her  beauty  shames  the 
flowers  in  the  garden. ' ' 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  53 

Chief  Algooat  was  now  past  his  one  hundredth 
year,  and  a  successor  was  chosen.  His  son,  Theophi- 
lus,  would  of  course  have  been  his  choice  had  he  been 
alive.  As  it  was,  he  turned  to  Diego,  conferring 
upon  him  the  honor  with  the  words,  "To  Diego  Sinon 
I  give  the  chieftainship  of  this  tribe  upon  my  death. ' ' 

All  the  next  day  he  danced  before  the  fire,  and 
all  that  night  he  tortured  himself  with  piercing  cac 
tus  thongs.  He  was  now  ready  for  the  final  test. 
So  that  night,  with  wives,  children  and  dogs,  all  the 
Indians  gathered  on  the  fireground  and  the  strange 
ceremonies  began.  The  rhythm  of  the  weird  Indian 
music  entered  into  the  very  heart  of  the  chief  and 
filled  him  with  courage.  Till  the  hour  of  midnight 
he  swayed  back  and  forth,  and  then,  exhausted  and 
half  intoxicated,  He  sank  back  into  the  dust,  and  saw 
deep  mysteries  in  the  curling  smoke  of  the  fire. 
Blood  dripped  from  his  bruised  sides,  his  bones  ached 
from  the  restless  hours  of  dancing ;  yet  the  thought 
of  revenge  killed  all  pain. 

Suddenly  a  cry  rang  out  upon  the  night  air. 
"Mystica  Algooat  has  escaped  from  Tauquitz,  and 
comes  bringing  victory  over  the  evil  spirit. ' ' 

Chief  Algooat  uttered  a  cry  of  joy,  and  every  In 
dian  within  hearing  took  it  up,  shouting  till  the  hills 
echoed  and  re-echoed  with  the  sound.  Dancing  and 
chanting  took  the  place  of  mourning,  and  each  pic 
tured  in  his  imagination  a  victory  over  Tauquitz  and 


54  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

a  prosperous  and  increasing  tribe  of  Indians  once 
more. 

Mystica  was  the  idol  of  the  hour.  Beautiful, 
tall  in  stature,  with  eyes  that  shone  over  prominent 
cheek  bones  like  glittering  stones  of  black,  writh  hair 
swaying  and  waving  like  skeins  of  purest  silk,  she 
was  indeed  attractive.  Nor  was  this  all ;  she  had 
the  courage  possessed  by  few  other  maidens  of  the 
tribe.  It  was  no  wonder,  then,  that  lovers  besieged 
her  on  every  side.  But  it  was  Diego  Sinon  that  she 
greeted  with  a  pleased  smile,  and  it  was  not  long  till 
he  had  her  promise  of  marriage.  Both  believed  it 
would  be  well  not  to  marry  till  the  hunt  for  Tauquitz 
was  past,  and  the  fulfillment  of  the  commission  given 
her  by  the  Gods  of  the  Acron  Tree  was  accomplished. 

Sunset  was  the  hour  for  Indian  gatherings ;  and 
so  it  came  about  that  as  the  sun  sank  from  sight  in 
the  west,  the  tribe  was  once  more  assembled  on  the 
fireground.  As  Mystica  stepped  forward,  a  great  si 
lence  fell.  With  many  gestures  and  wavings  of  her 
bare  arms,  she  told  of  her  wanderings.  She  whis- 
pere:l,  as  if  half  afraid,  of  a  little  trail  that  led  high 
into  the  hills,  and  of  the  awful  inscription  carved 
upon  the  rocks.  She  told  of  her  capture  and  escape. 
When  she  was  done,  all  the  Indians  bowed  down  in 
reverence  before  her. 

That  night  she  and  Diego  walked  home  together. 
In  the  hammock  before  the  tepee  they  sat  side  by 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  55 

side,  telling  the  old,  old  story  of  love,   and  planning 
the  future  as  men  and  women  shall  do  alway. 

Nine  loyal  fighters  were  chosen  to  capture  Tau- 
quitz,  and  at  dawn  the  next  morning  they  gathered 
at  the  tepee  of  Chief  Algooat  to  listen  to  the  plans 
of  Mystica.  Diego  was  present  by  invitation,  and 
was  the  only  Indian  thus  honored. 

At  sunrise  the  little  party  ascended  the  brushy 
mountain  at  the  rear  of  the  tepee.  At  noon  they 
were  high  up  in  the  hills,  lunching  beside  a  stream  of 
cool  water  that  plashed  musically  down  the  moun 
tain  side.  But  only  Diego  and  Mystica  think  of  its 
music  as  lowers  do.  The  others  have  deeper  thoughts. 

After  some  little  discussion,  it  was  decided  that 
Mystica  should  go  ahead  and  see  if  the  ground  were 
clear.  So  she  stole  on  toward  the  home  of  the  evil 
spirit,  and  the  rest  waited  in  fear  and  hope  for  her 
return. 

Suddenly  she  came  upon  them  with  a  little  gasp 
of  delight.  "I  have  seen  Tauquitz,"  she  said  softly, 
"and  he  lies  by  the  side  of  a  great  jar  of  grape  juice, 
drunk.  Now  is  our  time !"  and  she  led  the  party 
over  the  stone  wall  down  into  the  enclosure. 

A  pile  of  ghastly  white  bones  frightened  the  In 
dians.  They  knelt  in  prayer,  afraid  to  go  for\^ard. 
Only  Diego  was  unmoved.  He  studied  the  pile  of 
bones  carefully,  and  soon  saw  that  the  sa  orifices  of 
Tauquitz  had  been  of  both  sexes. 


56  MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT. 

"Up!  Up! "pleaded  Mystica,  and  she  led  the 
way,  running  ahead  of  them  all.  They  followed  close 
upon  her  heels  for  a  time,  but  soon  fell  behind.  All 
at  once  they  heard  voices  and  halted  trembling. 

"Warriors — Diego  !"  suddenly  rang  out  Mystica 's 
voice  in  great  fear. 

The  warriors  hid  behind  a  rock,  where  they  could 
see  the  evil  spirit. 

"Oh,  good  and  great  Tauquitz,"  pleaded  Mystica, 
"forgive  me  for  betraying  you  ;  I  did  it  only  for  the 
good  of  my  people." 

The  drunken  man  staggered  close  to  her.  "And 
who  are  your  people?"  he  asked,  with  a  hideous  leer. 
"Ah,  Mystica,  I  know  you,  and  though  you  are  a 
Goddess  you  have  tried  to  betray  me  into  the  hands 
of  the  Indians.  But  show  me  your  people,  and  even 
if  they  have  arrows  ready  in  their  bows  I  shall  de 
stroy  them.  And  you,  who  have  betrayed  me,  God 
dess  though  you  be,  must  die." 

A  great  sorrow  came  over  Mystica.  She  feared 
her  people  would  never  be  free. 

"Kill  me,  Tauquitz,"  she  said  simply. 

Fora  moment  Tauquitz  faltered.  "Am  I  to  kill, 
while  drunk,  the  maiden  I  once  loved?"  he  asked, 
sadly.  "But  it  must  be." 

He  picked  up  the  ax  and  came  close  to  her  side. 
Gripping  it  with  both  hands,  he  swung  it  back  for 
the  death  blow.  Mystica  stood  like  a  statue. 


Mi  STIC  A  ALGOOAT.  57 

A  sharp  twang  rang  out  suddenly,  and  Diego's 
bow  had  sent  an  arrow  hissing  into  the  thick  flesh  of 
Tauquitz's  arm.  The  ax  fell  to  the  ground,  but  Tau- 
quitz  drew  Mystica  close  to  him,  praying  that  he 
might  yet  send  her  soul  into  the  darkened  future. 

"Oh,  Diego! "she  cried,  as  Tauquitz  roughly 
drew,  her  to  him. 

Tauquitz  heard  the  call  for  help,  and  released 
the  maiden.  He  walked  slowly  back  into  a  dark 
corner,  and  waited  to  see  what  result  it  might  have. 
Seeing  nothing,  he  came  forth  again,  prepared  to  deal 
the  fatal  blow.  But  Diego  was  keenly  alive  to  the 
danger. 

"Back,  you  evil  spirit,"  he  cried,  "or  I  shall 
send  this  arrow  deep  into  your  flesh."  And  he  drew 
taut  the  string  on  his  bow,  ready  to  drive  the  arrow. 

Diego's  stand  so  gave  courage  to  the  other  war 
riors  that  they  now  came  forth  from  their  hiding 
places.  They  were  ready  to  fall  upon  Tauquitz  and 
slay  him  at  once.  The  reign  of  the  evil  spirit  was 
fast  drawing  to  a  close. 

The  sight  of  the  drawn  bows  was  too  much  for 
Tauquitz,  and  he  fell  to  the  earth.  So  they  bound 
him  hand  and  foot,  and  his  days  of  evil  doing  were 
days  of  the  past. 

Diego  now  turned  to  Mystica  and  kissed  her. 
"Honor,"  he  said,  "awaits  you  at  home.  Come, let  us 
be  off." 


58  MYST1CA  ALGOOAT. 

And  so,  happy  as  two  children,  they  went  down 
the  side  of  the  mountain.  Tauquitz  lay  groaning  at 
the  pain  in  his  wounded  arm,  and  cursing  at  the  hap 
piness  of  his  brother.  His  reign  had  ended  as  sud 
denly  as  it  had  begun. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  59 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    TRAIL. 

"Kill  me,  Diego;  I  want  to  die,"  whispered 
Tauquitz.  "Put  an  arrow  straight  through  my  heart. 
I  would  a  thousand  times  prefer  death  to  captivity. ' ' 

Lost  records  tell  of  the  long  journey  homeward, 
of  the  arrival  at  the  tepees  of  the  tribe,  and  of  many 
other  things.  Suffice  it  to  say,  they  reached  home 
after  a  tedious  journey. 

Chief  Algooat  was  the  first  to  hear  them  coming, 
and  he  ran  from  his  tepee  to  greet  them.  He  spoke 
to  Mystica  first,  then  to  Diego,  and  lastly  to  his  war 
riors  who  had  accompanied  them.  Tauquitz  closed 
his  eyes  tightly  and  refused  to  open  them. 

"Send  for  Judge  Sinon,"  said  the  chief,  "and 
we  will  try  the  evil  spirit  at  once." 

Tauquitz  was  planning  to  defend  himself ;  he 
knew  he  could  win  over  his  father,  and  it  seemed 
certain  he  would  escape  punishment.  The  Indians, 
however,  thought  otherwise,  and  were  already  pre 
paring  for  his  death. 

The  setting  sun  that  evening  found  a  vast  throng 


60  MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT. 

assembled  for  the  Indian  Court.  Old  Chief  Algooat 
was  there,  muttering  in  song,  and  plainly  showing  his 
pleasure  at  the  capture.  The  judge  was  also  present, 
thanking  the  Sacred  Acron  Tree  for  the  power  of  de 
stroying  the  evil  spirit. 

Judge  Sinon  now  gave  orders  for  the  trial  to  be 
gin.  At  once  Indian  music  on  tightly  drawn  sheep 
skin  instruments  was  heard,  which  slowly  died  out. 
Then,  like  the  moaning  of  the  wind,  came  the  voices 
of  those  who  surrounded  the  captor  : 

"Death!  Give  him  death.  He  it  is  who  poisoned 
our  fathers,  our  mothers,  our  brothers,  our  sisters. 
Let  his  sentence  be  death." 

"Bringforth  the  Evil  Spirit,"  commanded  Judge 
Sinon.  "Be  prompt,  for  a  speedy  trinl  is  demanded 
by  all.  Diego,  my  son,  you  may  stand  here  close 
behind  me.  And  Chief  Algooat,  you  will  prostrate 
yourself  before  the  Sacred  Acron  Tree  and  pray  that 
my  decision  shall  never  condemn  the  tribe's  advance 
ment  and  increase." 

Through  all  these  preliminaries  Tauquitz  sat  in 
silence.  On  every  side  he  could  see  scowling  faces. 
On  every  side  death  met  his  gaze.  At  times,  even, 
he  could  hear  the  chant,  "Die,  oh,  Tauquitz!  die  by 
the  blaze  of  the  fire  !"  Then,  perhaps,  the  chorus 
would  die  down  to  a  whisper,  as  the  old  judge  would 
speak.  Presently  the  great  stone  ax  was  brought 
forth,  and  the  judge  turned  to  the  captive,  who  lay 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  61 

bound  and  helpless,  on  the  ground. 

"Tauquitz,"  he  said,  "I  command  you  to  an 
swer  whatsoever  I  may  ask,  and  answer  it  truthfully 
and  with  no  delay.  Disobey,  and  this  ax  shall  crush 
through  thy  skull.  Come  closer,  Mystica,  and  you, 
too,  Diego. 

"Tauquitz,  for  many  moons  ycru  have  been 
troubling  the  tribe  with  your  evil  deeds.  You  have 
poisoned  the  spring  from  which  many  brave  warriors 
and  many  good  maidens  drank.  You  have  scattered 
disease  among  us  all,  and  vast  numbers  of  the  tribe 
have  died  from  this  cause.  Here,  indeed,  you  see 
whom  of  us  are  left,  only  a  remnant  of  the  once  pow 
erful  and  large  tribe.  Your  sentence,  Tauquitz,  is  a 
severe  one.  You  must  perish  in  the  fire." 

Tauquitz  lay  perfectly  still,  never  moving  a 
single  muscle. 

"Tauquitz,"  said  the  judge,  "why  do  you  re 
main  unmoved?  Have  you  nothing  to  say?" 

At  last  the  captive  moistened  his  lips  and  spoke. 
"My  story  is  a  long  one,  Judge  Sinon,  and  one  in 
which  there  is  much  sorrow." 

The  judge  motioned  him  to  go  on. 

"I  thank  you,"  said  the  captive,  "for  had  you 
not  allowed  me  to  speak,  great  grief  would  have  come 
to  Mystica  and  Diego." 

Diego  leaped  forward.  "Lie,  if  you  will,"  he 
shouted,  "but  if  you  dare  bring  in  the  name  of 


62  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

Mystica  Algooat,  I  shall  pray  to  my  father  to  condemn 
you." 

But  the  judge  waved  him  back. 

UI  am  here,"  began  Tauquitz,  "not  bound  and 
held  by  the  power  of  the  Indian,  but  by  the  betraying 
hand  of  a  fair  maiden.  Believe  me,  or  not,  but  I  tell 
you  that  this  very  moment  my  hands  would  be  free, 
the  sheep  that  are  to  die  with  me  would  be  held  for  fu 
ture  feasting,  and  the  cries  of  i  Die  ! '  would  be  instead 
'Long  live  the  rescuer  of  the  chief's  daughter!' 
were  it  not  for  her.  For  once,  Judge  Sinon,  this 
maiden  was  at  my  mercy. 

"Less  than  half  a  moon  ago  I  found  her  high  in 
the  mountains,  lost.  I  drove  the  wild  animals  from 
her,  that  in  a  fe\v  more  minutes  would  have  been 
feasting  on  her  flesh.  Yes,  I  found  her  weeping, 
unguarded  and  afraid.  I  fed  her  upon  the  grapes  I 
had  gathered  in  the  valley  and  upon  the  meat  of  the 
sheep.  Long  ago,  Judge,  I  told  her  a  secret;  I  told 
her  of  my  secret  home.  And  she  betrayed  me. 

"If  you  condemn  me,  Judge  Sinon,  I  shall  wan 
der  in  spirit  among  yonder  mountains,  groaning  and 
crying  for  vengeance.  You  may  burn  my  body,  but 
death  only  brings  me  before  the  spirits.  If  you  but 
listen,  and  your  ears  be  keen,  you  can  this  very  mo 
ment  hear  the  spirits  groan  off  yonder  in  the  moun 
tains.  As  true  as  you  have  the  power  to  condemn 
the  flesh,  yonder  spirit  has  the  power  to  condemn  you 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  63 

after  death.  Do  you  not  believe  me,  oh  great  and 
mighty  Judge?" 

But  Judge  Sinon  slowly  shook  his  head.  "If 
you  have  such  power,"  he  said,  "why  not  break  the 
thongs  that  bind  you  hand  and  foot?  If  you  can 
make  the  mountains  groan  and  crumble,  why  not  es 
cape?" 

"You  do  not  believe  what  I  say?" 

"No,  Tauquitz,  I  do  not." 

"Then  I  shall  no  longer  deny  my  birthright. 
Judge,  would  you  condemn  your  own  son?" 

"Who  are  you?"  asked  the  old  man,  starting  to 
his  feet. 

"I  am  your  son,  Silveric  Sinon,  who  months  ago 
fled  to  the  mountains  to  escape  the  wrath  of  Chief 
Algooat.  See,  here  is  a  wound  you  must  know.  Do 
you  remember  the  day  I  drove  back  the  Indians  who 
were  born  out  of  the  rocks  in  a  single  day?  Can  you 
forget  your  words,  'Oh,  Silveric  Sinon,  my  son,  you 
have  saved  your  father  in  his  old  age?'  " 

"He  lies,"  said  Diego. 

"Axman,"  commanded  Judge  Sinon,  "search 
the  captive  and  see  if  upon  his  right  side  you  find 
arrow  marks." 

"Yes,"  spoke  up  a  guardsman,  "prove  the  words 
he  speaks  are  false/' 

But  the  search  only  proved  the  truth.  The  old 
judge  recalled  how  a  little  before  he  had  prayed  that 


64  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

nothing  should  influence  him  to  save  the  evil  spirit, 
and  now 

"In  what  battle,"  he  asked  sternly,  "did  you 
receive  that  wound?" 

"Ah,  father,  you  remember  it  as  well  as  I.  Our 
chief  was  killed,  defeat  was  upon  us,  and  all  seemed 
utterly  lost,  when  a  brave  warrior  saved  the  day. 
And  that  warrior,  Judge  Sinon,  was — who?" 

"Yes,  it  was  you,"  said  the  old  man,  with  tears 
in  his  eyes.  "But  tell  me,  why  did  you  flee  to  the 
mountains?" 

"To  escape  the  wrath  of  Chief  Algooat,  who 
cried  aloud  for  my  life." 

"Enough,"  said  the  judge.  "Axman,  take 
away  Silveric.  Why  have  you  brought  my  own  son, 
that  I  should  pronounce  him  guilty?  I  command 
you,  take  him  away." 

Already  the  Indians  were  clamoring  for  a  decision. 
The  judge  was  silent.  Even  when  Chief  Algooat 
questioned  him  he  only  shook  his  head  sadly.  Again 
and  again  they  begged  for  his  decision,  and  as  often 
he  shook  his  head.  At  last,  he  said  slowly  : 

"Never  again  shall  the  spirits  of  good  judgment 
visit  this  tribe,  and  for  all  time  shall  the  Indian  be 
unwise  and  forsaken  by  the  Acron  Gods.  Diego 
shall  lose  his  sheep  and  Mystica  her  beauty." 

"What  mean  you?"  questioned  the  chief. 

But  the  judge  only  shook  his  head 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  65 

A  little  way  off  an  Indian  shouted,  "Burn  him  !" 
And  another  and  yet  another  took  up  the  cry  till  the 
whole  air  rang  with  the  slogan. 

"He  must  be  burned,"  they  shouted.  "He 
must  burn  even  if  the  judge  does  not  command  it." 

Chief  Algooat  turned  to  the  judge.  "You  see 
their  thirst  for  vengeance,"  he  said  simply.  "What 
shall  I  say  to  them." 

"Tell  them  to  wait  till  the  morrow  for  the  decis 
ion,"  begged  Judge  Sinon.  "Tell  them  to  wait  till 
the  morrow." 

So  Chief  Algooat  spoke  to  the  Indians,  bidding 
them  await  another  day  before  carrying  out  the  sen 
tence.  After  he  had  done  speaking  to  them,  he 
turned  to  the  judge. 

"Go  to  your  tepee,"  he  said,  "and  pray  through 
the  night,  that  you  may  have  strength  upon  the  mor 
row,  should  your  son  be  proved  guilty  of  poisoning 
the  spring.  Thy  decision  must  be  for  justice  and 
honor." 


66  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    DECISION. 

Evening  came  oiice  more,  a  calm  evening  in  mid 
summer,  its  silence  unbroken  by  the  fire  dance  or  the 
thrilling  cry  of  the  Indian  guardsman.  All  the  night 
Mystica  dreamed  of  the  wrong  she  had  done,  and  of 
the  lover  she  had  lost.  All  that  night  Diego  sighed 
and  prayed  for  her.  All  that  night  Judge  Sinon 
tossed  about,  fearful  of  the  morrow. 

Long  before  the  coyotes  upon  the  mesa  had 
ceased  their  barking,  an  erect  figure  stole  silently 
along.  It  was  Mystica  searching  for  her  father. 

"I  shall  ask  council  with  him,"  she  told  herself, 
"and  perhaps  he  will  plead  for  the  freedom  of  Sil- 
veric."  She  came  to  his  tepee  again,  and  softly 
called  to  him.  "I,  thy  daughter,  Mystica,  have  come 
to  ask  thee  to  free  Silveric.  The  Acron  Gods  whis 
per  to  me  that  I  am  to  carry  a  message  that  will  free 
him.  I  shall  go  to  the  judge  and  say,  'Silveric  shall 
be  freed.'  " 

"If  the  Gods  have  whispered  this  to  you," 
answered  the  chief,  "it  must  be  done.  The  power  to 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  67 

live  among  us  I  cannot  grant  him,  for  all  the  night  it 
has  been  running  in  my  brain  that  he  did  poison  the 
spring ;  but  as  for  freedom,  that  is  quite  another 
thing.  Were  he  to  go  back  to  the  mountains,  no 
harm  could  come  to  us." 

"That  is  all  I  ask,  father,  and  you  will  grant  it, 
will  you  not?" 

"Go  to  the  judge  and  tell  him  that  he  may  order 
Silveric  back  to  his  home  in  the  mountains,  to  be 
watched  over  by  five  guardsmen." 

At  the  entrance  to  the  judge's  tepee,  she  paused, 
half  afraid. 

Diego's  hounds  threatened  her,  but  she  only 
laughed  at  them. 

Then,  very  low  and  soft,  she  began  the  message, 
standing  just  outside  the  tepee.  So  low  did  she 
speak  that  the  judge  did  not  hear  her  at  all ;  only 
one  who  had  been  lying  awake,  waiting  for  the  voice. 

In  another  minute  Diego  was  out  of  the  tepee 
and  held  her  hand  tightly  in  his. 

"And  you  still  love  me,  Diego?"  she  asked, 
wonder  ingly. 

"I  do,"  said  Diego  softly. 

"But  come,  I  have  good  news  to  bear  to  your 
father.  Let  us  go  to  him  at  once." 

And  there,  standing  near  the  old  man,  she  told 
him  the  glad  tidings.  "My  good  Judge,"  she  said, 
leaning  close  to  his  ear,  "my  father  sends  me  on 


68  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

this  dark  night  to  tell  you  that  on  the  morrow  you 
may  command  Silveric  to  go  back  to  his  mountain 
home,  there  to  be  guarded  by  five  Indians.  Freedom 
and  not  death  is  his  sentence." 

"And  father,"  interrupted  Diego,  "before  the 
next  setting  sun  I  shall  begin  to  build  a  tepee  for 
Mystica  and  me." 

"For  Mystica?"  said  the  judge. 

And  Diego  repeated  the  words  softly,  "For 
Mystica." 

So  the  judge  blessed  the  two,  and  gladly  forgave 
MyBtica  for  aiding  in  the  capture  of  Silveric.  Good 
byes  were  said,  and  the  three  were  soon  separated 
once  more,  each  waiting  for  the  morning  to  come. 

Day  broke  presently,  and  the  Indians  began  to 
bestir  themselves,  still  hopeful  of  the  fire  and  feast. 
Early  they  gathered  on  the  fireground,  Indians  of  all 
the  tepees,  the  chief,  the  judge,  and  the  daughter 
and  son  who  were  to  unite  the  two  families.  Silveric 
Sinon,  still  bound,  was  led  forth  by  the  guardsmen, 
to  be  greeted  by  the  cry  of  "Death  !"  once  more. 

The  judge  rose  to  greet  the  assembled  tribe,  and 
a  great  silence  fell  over  the  Indians.  Like  eagles,  the 
eyes  of  many  were  fixed  on  the  prey,  gloating  at  their 
capture.  As  the  judge  began  to  speak,  the  cry  of 
"Tauquitz  must  die  !"  rang  out. 

Judge  Sinon  began  to  plead  with  the  assembled 
people  to  allow  Mystica  Algooat  and  Diego  to  settle 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  69 

the  punishment  of  the  captive.  His  sentences  were 
short  and  abrupt,  but  each  carried  force  and  influence. 
To  the  captors,  he  urged,  rightfully  belonged  the  dis 
position  of  the  man  before  them. 

Here  Diego  thre  w  himself  before  the  people  and 
begged  that  they  spare  his  brother  and  allow  him  to 
go  back  to  the  mountains.  When  he  had  ended  he 
fell  fainting  to  the  ground. 

All  about  was  silence.  Quickly  taking  advan 
tage  of  this  momentary  stupor,  Judge  Sinon  appointed 
five  trusty  Indians  to  take  the  captive  back  to  his 
home  in  the  mountains.  Chief  Algooat  silently  fitted 
an  arrow  in  his  bow  and  sent  it  whizzing  toward  the 
granite  hill.  "The  decision,"  he  said,  "is  fair  ;  let 
my  tribesmen  appointed  for  the  task  follow  the  arrow 
far  up  into  the  mountains.  Do  as  our  judge  requests, 
and  peace,  happiness  and  plenty  shall  be  with  us 
always." 

LOWT  murmurings  were  now  heard,  but  Chief  Al 
gooat  quickly  silenced  them.  With  a  last  blessing 
upon  his  father  and  a  promise  to  watch  over  the 
spirits  of  the  Indians  as  one  by  one  they  passed  away, 
Silveric  followed  the  five  guardsmen. 

Family  by  family,  Indian  by  Indian,  the 
assembled  group  melted  away,  leaving  the  blazing 
fire  to  die  out  for  want  of  the  sacrifice  that  had  been 
planned. 

Because  Mystica's  captor  had  escaped  death,  she 


70  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

was  forbidden  by  Indian  custom  to  marry  any  other. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait  patiently  for  the 
inevitable. 

A  great  storm  arose  one  day,  with  terrible  flashes 
of  lightning  and  rumbling  peals  of  thunder.  Through 
the  tumult  it  seemed  to  Mystica  she  could  hear  Sil- 
veric's  voice  calling  to  her  that  all  would  be  well. 
Greatly  disturbed,  she  listened  for  any  other  sound, 
but  no  word  came  to  her  ear. 

At  noonday  a  messenger  came  panting  into 
camp. 

"Where  is  thy  father?"  he  demanded  excitedly. 
"I  have  a  dreadful  story  for  his  ears." 

"Here,"  gasped  the  old  chief,  just  within  the 
tepee.  "What  is  it?" 

Then  the  messenger,  with  many  dramatic  ges 
tures,  told  of  a  powerful  storm  that  Silveric  had 
caused  to  come  upon  the  mountains ;  told  how  the 
whole  mountain  side  had  crumbled  and  given  away 
under  the  weight  of  ice  and  snow  high  up  among  the 
peaks.  The  five  guardsmen  and  Silveric  had  perished 
together. 

A  few  days  later  Diego  Sinon,  second  son  of  the 
judge,  and  Mystica  Algooat,  Goddess  of  the  Sunset, 
were  united  in  marriage. 

And  so  the  legend  closes.  To  this  day  the  In 
dians  believe  that  Tauquitz  rules  the  mountains  ;  and 
a  peak  is  even  named  in  his  honor.  When  the  moun- 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  71 

tains  roar  with  the  rumble  of  thunder,  it  is  thought 
that  Tauquitz  is  once  more  torturing  the  five  guards 
men. 

These  Indians  will  soon  be  forgotten,  though, 
like  the  Mound  Builders,  their  work  shall  live  after 
them.  The  author  prays  that  each  true  Calif  or  nian 
may  remember  that  through  all  their  trials  they 
strove  constantly  for  liberty,  peace  and  happiness. 

An  hundred  years  and  more  have  passed,  and 
this  tribe  of  Indians  has  prospered.  Today  they  call 
themselves  the  Sabola  Valley  Indians ;  and  what 
could  be  more  appropriate,  when  it  is  known  that 
"Sabola"  signifies  "restful,"  and  the  whole  idea 
conveyed  is  that  ,of  Indians  at  rest. 


72  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 


Introduction  to  Part  II. 


California  should  be  a  proud  state.  Within  her 
boundaries  is  a  vast  area  of  fertile  land.  Her  rivers 
are  picturesque  streams  emptying  into  the  Pacific  ; 
her  lakes  lie  still  and  beautiful ;  her  mountain  ranges 
tower  high  in  grand  and  stately  peaks  ;  her  valleys 
are  the  garden  spots  of  the  earth.  The  land  is  rich 
with  milk  and  honey. 

It  is  no  wonder,  then,  that  California  is  the 
state  of  the  tourist.  Far  to  the  west  the  sands  of  a 
beach  attract ;  far  to  the  east  the  sand  is  that  of  a 
desert.  It  is  not  alone  the  rose  that  appeals  to  the 
traveler  ;  other  charms  have  equal  powers. 

Comfort  and  strength  also  lie  within  her  boun 
daries.  She  is  a  healing  physician,  and  for  the  tired 
man  there  is  rest  and  vigor  in  her  winters. 

Not  only  has  California  her  Lake  Tahoe,  her 
Yosemite  Valley,  her  Santa  Catalina  Islands,  her 
Shasta  Summits,  but  she  has  wonders  of  every  kind  ; 
she  has  mysteries.  And  it  is  of  one  of  the  latter  that 
the  author  would  write. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  7a 

Like  a  child  on  its  mother's  bosom,  Tauquitz,  or 
Devil's  Peak,  rests  against  the  Jacinto  Range  of 
mountains.  Although  not  of  startling  height,  there- 
is  something  about  it  that  merits  admiration,  that 
makes  one  feel  its  friendliness,  its  stateliness,  its 
grandeur.  When  one  speaks  to  it  there  comes  from 
far  down  in  the  heart  of  the  peak  a  rumbling  that 
can  be  described  only  as  a  sound  like  the  stamping  of 
many  cattle.  It  seems  to  fairly  throb  with  life. 


74  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 


Part  Two. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

SUMMER  TIME  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

As  the  summer  wore  on,  the  number  of  people 
who  flocked  from  our  cities  to  our  mountain  resort 
increased  daily.  Every  excursion  now  brought  mul 
titudes. 

It  was  the  last  excursion  in  July  to  which  I  had 
been  looking  forward.  Early  in  the  afternoon  of 
that  day  I  sat  in  the  railroad  waiting  room,  watching 
the  clock  and  reading  a  time-table.  It  still  lacked 
fifteen  minutes  of  train  time. 

All  at  once  I  caught  myself  saying,  "Surely, 
Miss  Phillips,  you  will  not  disappoint  me."  And 
then,  as  I  recalled  where  I  was,  I  said  to  myself  much 
lower,  "She  will  not  be  apt  to  do  so."  I  took  out 
her  letter  and  looked  at  the  reassuring  marginal  note  : 
"Meet  me  at  the  San  Jacinto  depot,  on  the  3dst."  I 
put  the  letter  back  in  my  pocket  and  glanced  at  the 
clock.  The  time  was  up. 

I  went  out  on  the  platform  and  looked  up  the 
track  expectantly.  An  express  messenger  told  me 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  75 

the  train  was  past  due,  but  just  as  he  spoke  the  words 
I  heard  a  whistle  in  the  south.  In  another  minute 
the  panting  engine,  with  its  five  coaches,  was  before 
me. 

Not  content  to  wait  for  a  sight  of  her  till  she 
came  out  on  the  car  platform,  I  hastily  pushed 
through  the  crowd  into  the  train.  She  was  not  in 
the  first  coach,  nor  in  the  second  ;  I  was  beginning 
to  fear  she  had  disappointed  me,  after  all.  In  the 
third  and  fourth  I  saw  nobody  I  knew,  and  it  was 
with  some  misgivings  that  I  went  into  the  last. 

Then  I  saw  her.  She  was  beckoning  to  me  and 
smiling  in  welcome.  It  took  only  a  moment  to  reach 
her  side,  but  I  faltered  like  a  school  boy  when  I  tried 
to  greet  her. 

I  found  she  was  not  alone.  Miss  Gertrude  Wells, 
with  her  father  and  mother,  had  accompanied  her. 
I  knew  them  all  very  well,  having  met  them  daring  a 
sojourn  in  San  Francisco  some  little  time  before. 

After  we  had  exchanged  greetings,  we  were 
driven  to  the  city,  and  a  little  later  were  at  dinner 
together.  Mr.  Wells  was  a  jolly  old  gentleman  and 
already  he  was  telling  us  of  the  plans  he  had  laid  and 
of  the  adventures  he  should  meet. 

Darkness  fell  early  in  the  valley,  and  the  two 
young  ladies  and  I  soon  withdrew  to  a  quiet  corner  of 
the  great  veranda,  where  we  passed  a  most  pleasant 
evening.  We  talked  and  laughed  and  joked  as  only 


76  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

young  people  can,  and  the  time  to  say  goodnight  came 
all  too  soon.  The  plans  of  the  young  ladies  were 
already  laid.  They  had  come  to  San  Jacinto  witli 
the  idea  of  taking  an  outing  in  the  mountains.  An 
invitation  to  join  them  was  given  me,  and  when  I 
left  them  that  night  it  was  understood  that  I  was  to 
join  them  in  the  mountains  two  days  later. 

As  I  walked  home  that  night,  the  picture  of 
Gertrude  Wells  persisted  in  coming  before  me.  I 
knew  she  was  attractive,  even  handsome ;  there  was 
about  her,  too,  a  fascination  difficult  to  explain. 
Altogether,  she  was  a  girl  any  man  would  admire. 

Yet  I  could  not  forget  Miss  Phillips  ;  1  could  not 
forget  the  evenings  I  had  passed  in  her  company,  nor 
the  triumph  that  came  to  me  the  day  I  won  her.  I 
must  be  true  to  her  under  all  circumstances. 

Another  matter  was  troubling  me.  Could  I  leave 
my  vast  farming  interests  for  a  vacation  in  the 
mountains?  And  this,  too,  in  the  busiest  part  of  the 
year? 

But  what  is  business  when  there  is  a  keen  pleas 
ure  to  offset  it?  Not  for  all  the  farms  in  the  world 
would  I  forego  the  pleasure  of  that  trip  to  the  moun 
tains. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  77 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A    SLEEPLESS    NIGHT. 

All  that  night  Tauquitz  Peak  rumbled  and 
roared.  I  slept  very  little  and  awoke  after  a  brief 
nap  at  daylight  to  find  my  head  ringing  with  the  per 
sistent  noise  of  the  mountain  and  my  hair  well 
tousled.  I  lay  back  on  my  pillow,  after  ascertaining 
that  everything  in  the  room  was  as  I  had  left  it  the 
night  before,  and  recalled  the  events  of  the  preced 
ing  evening.  It  was  all  indistinct  and  blurred  ;  my 
head  pained  me  with  its  terrible  throbbing.  A  voice 
from  somewhere  seemed  to  say,  "A  few  months  of 
this  sleeplessness  and  thou  shalt  return  to  dust. ' '  I 
tried  to  reason  it  out,  and  I  said  angrily,  out  loud, 
"No,  this  rumbling  of  a  mysterious  mountain  shall 
not  rob  me  of  my  sleep." 

As  I  lay  there  thinking,  the  clock  struck  sharply. 
Seven  o'clock  !  Impossible  !  With  a  single  move  I 
was  upon  my  feet  before  the  timepiece.  There,  sure 
enough,  was  the  hand  pointing  to  the  V  and  its  two 
I  guards.  I  turned  to  the  mirror,  and  saw  further 
proof  of  my  sleeplessness  in  my  bloodshot  eyes. 


78  MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT. 

All  that  morning,  as  I  went  about  my  chores, 
the  thought  of  the  mysteries  of  Tauquitz  Peak  troub 
led  me.  All  day  it  was  in  my  thoughts.  I  deter 
mined  to  go  to  bed  early  that  night,  and  endeavor  to 
obtain  some  sleep,  if  possible.  I  had  just  started  for 
my  room  with  this  purpose  in  my  mind,  when  some 
body  called  to  me. 

"William  !"  The  voice  had  a  familiar  ring,  yet 
1  could  not  place  it. 

I  turned  to  look  at  the  speaker.  Two  pack  bur 
ros  stood  regarding  me  with  mild  wonder,  while  a 
man  astride  a  third  grinned  pleasantly. 

"Have  you  forgotten  me?"  he  asked. 

Then  it  came  to  me.  "You  are  Benjamin  Phil 
lips,  Attorney-at-Law,  of  San  Francisco,  aren't  you  !" 
I  asked. 

"You  knew  I  was  all  the  time,"  he  said. 

I  tried  to  apologize.  "It  seems  strange  to  think 
of  you  driving  burros  for  a  living." 

"Well,  you  see,  it  is  this  way,"  he  began.  "I 
had  to  give  up  the  study  of  law,  as  it  proved  too  con 
fining.  My  health  has  not  been  good  of  late  and  Dr. 
Johnson,  whom  I  presume  you  remember,  advised  me 
to  come  to  Southern  California." 

"For  a  long  stay?"  I  asked. 

"Well,  nothing  definite,  unless  you  count  the 
time  until  I  regain  my  usual  sturdiness,  definite." 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  79 

I  said  nothing,  waiting  for  him  to  explain  fur 
ther. 

"Hasn't  my  sister,  Porta,  told  you?  Didn't 
you  meet  her  at  the  train?"  He  asked  the  question 
in  a  surprised  voice. 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "I  did  meet  her  at  the  train 
last  night,  but  she  said  nothing  to  me  about  you  be 
coming  a  burro  expert.  In  fact,  she  did  not  mention 
that  you  were  on  this  side  of  San  Francisco  at  all." 

"Oh,  well,"  he  laughed,  "it  will  be  a  good  sur 
prise  anyhow.  You  see  I  ran  across  a  bargain  in 
these  animals  while  waiting  for  my  train  at  River 
side.  A  miner  offered  me  the  three,  with  his  equip 
ment,  for  fifty  dollars,  and  I  took  him  up.  Now  that 
I  am  here,  I  intend  to  enjoy  myself  with  you  and  the 
girls  in  the  mountains.  I  told  Porta  about  it,  but 
she  said  to  allow  you  to  be  surprised,  as  she  was  sure 
she  could  depend  on  you,  rain  or  shine. ' ' 

I  looked  pleased. 

"Did  you  ever  try  to  persuade  one  of  these  bur 
ros  to  do  what  you  wished  it  to?"  asked  Benjamin, 
abruptly  changing  the  topic  of  conversation  to  what 
most  interested  him. 

"Many  times,"  I  said  sadly. 

"Well,  I  had  my  first  experience  the  other  day. " 
And  then  he  squatted  down  by  the  roadside  and  told 
me  of  the  obstinate  brute  he  had  tried  to  conquer.  I 
sympathized  with  him  when  he  said  it  was  as  useless 


SO  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

to  persuade  a  burro  that  the  road  was  to  follow  as  it 
was  to  convince  a  murderer  that  he  was  an  emblem 
of  purity. 

"I  suppose,  Benjamin,"  I  said  presently,  "that 
you  have  no  objection  to  remaining  with  me  to 
night?" 

"None  in  the  least,"  he  answered  heartily.  "In 
fact,  I  was  looking  for  a  camping  place  when  I  was 
directed  to  you." 

By  the  time  Benjamin  was  in  the  house,  with  the 
daily  paper  in  his  hands,  it  was  past  time  for  old 
Tauquitz  Peak  to  rumble.  Yet  I  fancied  I  could  hear 
it,  ever  growing  louder  and  louder.  1  thought  at 
first  that  it  was  merely  imagination,  yet  it  troubled 
me.  Thoughts  of  the  coming  vacation  with  the  girls 
alternated  with  forebodings  as  to  the  Peak.  Thinking 
thus  deeply,  I  soon  forgot  all  about  my  visitor. 

Presently  the  supper  was  ready.  "Benjamin," 
.  I  called. 

No  answer. 

•'Benjamin,"  I  repeated,  "supper  is  ready." 
iStill  he  did  not    respond.     Thinking  him   about 
to  end  some  story  he  was  reading,  I  hesitated,  waiting 
one  minute,  two,  many.     Alarmed  at  the  silence,  I 
went  into  the  room.     It  was  empty. 

Where  had  my  visitor  gone?  Had  I  been  duped 
by  some  clever  swindler  into  thinking  I  was  enter- 
tainin^'a  friend?  This  thought  came  to  my  mind 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  81 

almost  instantly,  and  I  ran  to  the  barn.  The  burros 
were  still  there.  So  back  to  the  house  I  went,  and 
began  to  search  for  him. 

All  at  once  an  idea  came  to  me.  I  ran  to  the 
cellar  door,  threw  it  wide  open  and  called  to  him. 
There,  behind  a  cask  in  the  foremost  corner,  I  found 
him  cowed  and  trembling. 

"Don't  let  me  trouble  you,"  I  said  jokingly, 
"but  what  in  thunder  are  you  doing  down  here?  That 
noise  is  not  wind — " 

"Then  we  are  not  having  a  cyclone?"  he  asked. 

"Far  from  it,"  1  replied.  "Come  upstairs,  and 
I  will  tell  you  about  it. " 

So  we  climbed  the  stairs.  He  had  always  lived 
in  a  middle  state  where  high  winds  were  frequent 
and  dangerous,  and  hearing  the  rumbling  had  run  for 
shelter  with  the  idea  that  a  cyclone  was  about  to  pass 
over  us. 

A  little  later,  seated  at  the  table,  I  told  him  of 
the  rumblings  of  Tauquitz.  Its  mysteries,  I  ex 
plained,  dealt  with  an  old  Indian  legend.  To  me,  I 
said,  there  was  something  awful  in  the  unknown  dis 
turbance  deep  in  the  bosom  of  the  granite  Peak. 
For  a  whole  year  it  had  teased  me  ;  it  had  moaned 
through  long  nights  ;  it  had  sighed  through  long  days. 

Benjamin  stopped  me  with  a  little  gesture.  "If 
your  honor  pleases,  I  will  dismiss  the  case  and  go 
back  to  town."  And  he  was  in  earnest,  for  without 


82  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

waiting  even  to  apologize  he  had  his  hat  in  hand  and 
was  swearing  that  lie  wrould  stay  in  no  haunted  land. 
To  this  day  I  can  see  him  standing  there  in  the  open 
door,  looking  fearfully  to  the  east,  where  Tauquitz 
Peak  rumbled  on. 

Finally  he  turned  to  me.  "How  long  has  it  been 
that  way?" 

"Since  long  before  the  Spanish  inhabited  the 
valley.  The  Indians  will  tell  you  that  it  has  rumbled 
since  the  Acron  Gods  created  the  world." 

We  fell  to  talking  of  other  things,  but  his  mind 
was  pre-occupied.  After  a  time  he  asked  if  I  had 
a  San  Francisco  daily  paper,  as  he  wished  to  look  up 
a  trial  of  an  enemy  of  his,  who  was  then  being  tried 
at  the  capital.  I  found  a  paper  for  him,  and  he  sat 
down  to  study  it. 

'•Look  here,"  he  said  suddenly;  "how  dare  you 
tell  me  Tauquitz  is  not  a  living  peak.''  He  thrust 
the  paper  before  me  and  read  aloud:  "'Tauquitz 
Alive.  Volcanic  Masses  Seen  Dripping  from  Its 
Crest.  Columns  of  Smoke  Curling  High  in  the  Air.' 

For  a  moment  I  said  nothing.  He  loooked  up 
at  me  to  see  what  I  might  suggest ;  then  he  went  on 
with  the  article,  emphasizing  every  strong  point. 
Finally,  for  want  of  something  better  to  say,  I  told 
him  California  would  yet  be  proud  of  this  mountain. 
Benjamin  angrily  pooh-hoohed  the  idea.  I  now  denied 
the  report.  It  was  false,  I  said  ;  just  a  newspaper 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  83 

yarn.  Some  forest  fires  lighted  by  careless  tourists, 
had  spread  beyond  their  control  and  had  deceived  the 
writer  of  the  article.  But  all  the  time  I  was  search 
ing  the  other  papers  for  some  contradictory  report. 

So  with  talk  and  reading  the  evening  wore  on. 
Bedtime  came,  and  Benjamin  asked  to  be  shown  to 
his  room.  "Should  I  arouse  the  whole  house  before 
morning,"  he  said,  "do  not  be  surprised." 

For  a  full  half  hour  I  sat  awaiting  developments. 
But  no  sound  save  the  steady  rumbling  of  old  Tau- 
quitz  Peak  broke  the  silence. 

The  next  morning  I  found  Benjamin  looking  pale 
and  worried.  When  I  asked  him  how  he  felt,  he  said 
he  had  half  a  mind  to  leave  the  place  at  once. 

"And  why,  pray?"  I  asked. 

"Because,"  he  answered  soberly,  "I  had  a  vis 
ion  last  night."  I  tried  to  laugh  and  joke  about  the 
matter,  but  he  did  not  respond.  So  I  settled  down 
and  asked  him  to  tell  me  all  about  it. 

"Just  before  morning,"  he  began,  "I  had  a  vis 
ion  of  a  train  of  burros,  with  our  party  near  them. 
We  were  plodding  along  through  brush  and  among 
boulders  that  made  the  way  well  nigh  impassible." 

"Were  we  lost?"  I  asked. 

"No,  not  so  bad  as  that ;  and  perhaps,  after  all 
it  was  only  a  foretaste  of  the  good  times  we  are  to 
have  among  the  mountains.  Come,  lock  up  your 
house,  or  turn  the  neighbors'  children  loose  in  it, 


84  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

and  let  us  be  off  to  the  mountains  this  very  day. 
We  will  leave  at  one  this  afternoon." 

I  thought  of  what  lay  before  us,  and  I  am  free 
to  confess  I  forgot  everything.  Still  I  had  the  good 
sense  to  engage  Mac,  a  close  neighbor,  to  look  after 
the  harvest,  and  at  one  o'clock  that  day  we  were  off 
for  the  hills,  away  from  worry,  on  to  happy  abandon 
of  worldly  cares. 

We  came  to  the  toll-gate  presently,  a  curious 
structure  guarded  by  an  old  Mexican.  We  learned 
that  he  had  collected  toll  here  for  thirty  years,  and 
we  paid  him  the  "passo"  (one  dollar)  demanded  and 
passed  through.  Evening  found  us  well  on  our  way, 
in  the  Strawberry  Valley,  high  up  in  the  mountains. 

At  the  Del  Strawberry  Hotel  we  turned  over  our 
burros  to  the  hotel  keeper  and  started  for  the  wash 
room  to  clean  up.  As  we  entered  the  hotel,  the  girls 
hailed  us,  with  many  comments  on  our  dirty  faces. 
Benjamin  admitted  that  we  were  a  trifle  shaded,  and  I 
am  sure  we  must  have  been.  The  long  ride  we  had 
taken  was  anything  but  clean. 

We  soon  fell  to  discussing  the  promise  of  an 
early  trip  back  into  the  mountains.  In  the  midst  of 
the  conversatian  Gertrude  suddenly  held  up  her  hand. 

"Hear  that,"  she  said. 

"What?"  asked  Benjamin,  paling  a  little. 

"The  rumbling  of  the  mountains." 

We  listened  a  moment   in  silence.     Clear  and 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  85 

distinct  it  came  to  us,  a  smothered  rumble  like  the 
stampeding  of  a  great  herd  of  cattle  or  the  wild  flight 
of  a  bunch  of  horses. 

"Do  you  know,"  said  Mr.  Wells,  "I  have  con 
vinced  myself  that  the  Indians  had  good  cause  for 
believing  that  the  spirits  ruled  that  mountain  peak. 
But  let's  go  in  to  supper  now." 

After  the  meal  we  gathered  in  a  little  group  on 
the  wide  veranda.  A  bright  campfire  lighted  up  the 
oaks  and  pines  near  the  building.  And  there  with 
all  laughing  and  joking,  I  told  them  of  Benjamin's 
experience  of  the  day  before,  when  he  had  thought  a 
cyclone  was  near  at  hand.  All  laughed  heartily, 
and  we  went  to»  our  various  rooms  with  smiles  on  our 
faces. 

We  were  up  with  the  chattering  jay  birds  the 
next  morning.  From  a  burro  renter  we  obtained  five 
additional  burros,  making  eight  altogether.  Proud 
of  our  well  equipped  outfit,  we  drove  them  down  in 
front  of  the  hotel  veranda,  which  was  filled  with  those 
who  were  waiting  for  breakfast.  The  animals  brayed 
continuously,  and  we  attracted  no  little  notice.  The 
fact  that  they  were  so  small  and  that  we  were  load 
ing  them  so  heavily  seemed  to  attract  as  much  atten 
tion  as  the  noise.  For  it  really  is  wonderful  what 
strength  the  little  beasts  have.  They  may  be  loaded 
until  they  are  literally  covered  and  still  they  plod  on, 
never  in  the  least  minding  their  burden. 


86  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

A  good  majority  of  the  people  on  the  veranda 
had  kodaks  and  cameras,  and  those  who  had  none 
scampered  off  to  their  rooms  to  secure  them.  I  dare 
say  we  presented  an  odd  and  picturesque  sight.  One 
old  lady  came  close  and  pleaded  with  us  not  to  load 
the  burros  too  heavily.  "Please  don't  break  his 
back,"  she  said,  as  the  burro  packer  placed  another 
bundle  on  the  back  of  one  of  the  animals.  The  man 
sniffed  contemptuously  and  went  on  with  his  work  in 
gleeful  haste. 

"You  darling  little  things,"  she  said  presently. 
"May  God  have  mercy  on  your  cruel  master. "  Then, 
unable  to  stand  the  sight,  she  rushed  around  the 
hotel  in  search  of  her  husband. 

It  tickled  Benjamin  immensely.  "Hear  that," 
he  laughed.  "  'Oh,  the  darling  little  things  !'  Why, 
the  stubborn  brutes  wouldn't  budge  an  inch  for  such 
a  woman." 

The  woman  came  back,  accompanied  by  her  hus 
band.  "Don't  put  another  thing  on  that  burro's 
back/'  she  said;  "if  you  do,  I  shall  have  you 
arrested  for  cruelty  to  animals. ' ' 

"The  president  of  some  humane  society,  I  sup 
pose,"  snorted  the  packer.  "Well,  there  ain't  no 
humane  society  that  can  show  me  points  about  pack 
ing  a  burro."  And  he  went  on  with  his  work  with 
stolid  indifference. 

He  used  an  hundred  feet  of  one-eighth  inch  rope, 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  87 

wrapping  down  under  the  burro  and  then  up  over  the 
load,  and  so  on  until  the  burro  looked  a  good  deal 
like  a  giant  torpedo. 

Click,  click,  and  the  kodaks  had  taken  a  fair 
shot  of  a  party  with  its  outfit  ready  for  a  ten  days' 
outing  in  the  mountains. 

"Got  in  its  ear,  Harold?"  asked  a  lady  of  her 
husband  who  was  trying  to  focus  a  2-^x2^  lens  upon  the 
burro.  Then  the  second  burro  being  put  through  the 
same  process  of  packing  as  the  first,  and  we  were  off. 

Click  !  click  !  even  to  this  day  I  can  hear  the 
click  of  an  hundred  kodaks  as  we  were  leaving  the 

O 

Del  Strawberry  Hotel  for  the  ascension  of  Tauquitz 
Peak. 

The  two  miles  across  Strawberry  Valley  was  a 
trip  that  I  often  think  about.  Through  pastures 
green  and  ablaze  with  many  beautiful  mountain 
flowers,  under  the  shade  of  giant  pine,  oak  and  fir 
trees,  over  babbling  brooks  into  whose  transparent 
waters  the  eyes  glimpse  darting  mountain  trout, — 
ah  !  a  paradise,  is  what  the  lover  of  nature  would 
call  it. 

Our  burro  train  made  good  progress,  and  we 
were  soon  at  the  foot  of  a  little  trail  which  wound 
its  way  up  the  steep  side  of  Tauquitz. 

"I'd  give  forty-one  cents  and  a  cup  of  hot 
coffee,"  said  Benjamin,  "if  the  squeaky  voiced  lady 


88  MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT. 

was  here,  just  to  see  her  dumpling  little  dears  wiggle 
up  the  steep  trail." 

A  short  rest  and  the  start  up  was  made,  I  keep 
ing  well  to  the  rear.  Trusting  a  burro  to  follow  I 
knew  was  not  good  law,  and  so  fell  back  to  that  posi 
tion. 

Only  a  little  way  up  the  steep  trail  had  I  ridden 
before  it  became  necessary  to  dismount.  The  burros 
were  traveling  so  slow  that  to  bring  a  quickening 
inspiration  to  them  I  toiled  on  foot,  swinging  a  great 
oak  club.  Suspicious  because  of  my  dismounting, 
first  Porta,  then  Gertrude,  and  presently  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wells  also  dismounted. 

"Give  up  the  case  if  you  want  to.  I  shall  appeal 
to  the  higher  courts  and  ride  this  burro  to  the  top, 
or  down  the  side  of  this  mountain  to  the  bottom," 
called  Benjamin. 

"The  timid  girls  are  afraid  they  will  be  tipped 
overboard,"  I  said. 

"Benjamin  is  afraid,  himself,"  answered  Ger 
trude,  arousing  a  like  opinion  from  the  rest  of  the 
party.  So  we  trudged  on,  and  up  the  steep  moun 
tain  trail. 

"I'm  exhausted,"  despairingly  gasped  Mrs. 
Wells,  first  to  acknowledge  it. 

"I'm  very  tired,  myself,"  remarked  her  husband. 

"Miles  to  the  summit,''  gasped  Gertrude,  point 
ing  with  her  cane  far  up  the  mountain  side. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  89 

The  condition  was  general,  for  not  one  of  the 
party  was  hardened  to  mountain  climbing.  "Mount 
the  burros  and  ride  again,"  was  the  universal  resolu 
tion,  which  was  immediately  adopted  and  unani 
mously  carried  out. 

While  resting  on  a  spur  higher  up  we  were 
assailed  by  a  princely  bloodhound.  At  first  it  seemed 
evident  that  he  must  be  shot,  so  as  to  run  no  chances 
of  his  attacking  one  of  our  party.  Rapidly  he  drew 
nearer  and  somehow  within  my  heart  I  felt  that  I 
knew  the  noble  dog.  "Brave  Trailer  ! "  I  coolly  said  ; 
"Brave  Trailer!" 

The  hound  at  my  second  address  stopped  short, 
snuffing  all  about  him.  "Brave  Trailer,"  I  repeated, 
now  feeling  certain. 

Indifferent  to  my  friendly  welcome,  he  coolly 
jogged  up  to  me,  sniffing  of  my  person.  "You  noble 
fellow,"  I  said,  laying  a  hand  upon  his  head;  and 
then  who  but  Brave  Trailer,  No.  345,  Riverside  Co., 
and  owned  by  Capt.  Sheriff  Johnson,  should  spring 
toward  my  face  that  he  might  kiss  me. 

"Do  you  see  any  signs  of  men  having  lately  been 
over  the  trail?"  I  asked  Benjamin. 

"Fresh  signs  and  from  all  appearances  made 
since  the  showers  of  yesterday,"  he  replied. 

"Then  I  must  let  Brave  Trailer  go,  that  he  may 
continue  in  his  official  capacity.  Shall  I?"  I  asked 
Porta,  just  ahead  of  me. 


90  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"Let the  noble  fellow  go  !  why  no,"  she  replied. 

"Keep   him  for  company,"  joined  in  Gertrude. 

"Well,  it  is  a  sin  to  coax  him  from  performing  his 
duty,  but  then  we  may  need  just  his  kind  of  assis 
tance  in  watching  against  these  same  fellows ;  so 
here's  to  luck  for  Riverside  County!"  and  I  soon  had 
a  strong  picket  rope  about  Brave  Trailer's  neck. 

It  was  nearly  noon  before  we  reached  the  sum 
mit.  Before  us  and  receding  eastwardly  was  the 
Tauquitz  Valley,  watered  by  many  little  brooklets, 
green  from  many  varieties  of  grasses  and  shrubs,  lav 
ished  with  beautiful  mountain  flowers,  and  shaded 
by  pines  and  fir  trees.  A  second  paradise,  as  Mrs. 
Wells  called  it.  It  was  surely  a  lovely  spot,  and  truly 
homelike,  for  cattle  in  great  numbers  were  eagerly 
feeding  upon  the  summer's  growth. 

With  hurrahs  that  re-echoed  through  the  moun 
tain,  we  announced  our  arrival  at  a  deserted  log 
cabin  supposed  to  have  been  the  residence  of  the 
noted  "Jack  Meeks. " 

After  unloading  our  burros  and  picketing  them 
within  reach  of  water  and  grass,  we  made  ourselves 
ready  for  dinner.  After  the  meal,  Mrs.  Wells  pro 
posed  that  the  little  party  sot  out  to  inspect  the 
mysteries  of  Tauquitz  Peak.  A  half  hour  of  steady 
climbing  over  rocky  surfaces  and  through  brushy 
patches  brought  us  to  the  highest  point.  Here  we 
were  surprised  to  find  that  by  looking  westward  we 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  91 

could  see  far  over  the  Strawberry  Valley  and  even 
catch  a  glimpse  of  San  Jacinto,  back  in  the  moun 
tains. 

"It  resembles  a  painting, ' '  remarked  Mrs.  Wells  ; 
"a  glittering  basin  fringed  with  a  narrow  border  of 
green  trees,  and  a  wider  one  with  shady  foothills." 
Far  toward  the  western  horizon  the  sun  was 
reflecting  its  brightness  upon  the  Pacific,  making  a 
splendid  view.  It  may  have  been  a  freak  of  the  im 
agination,  but  we  could  see  the  breaking  waters  as 
they  dashed  themselves  in  a  spray  against  the  Pacific 
shore,  one  hundred  miles  away.  To  the  south,  we 
caught  the  beauty  of  a  bird's-eye  view  of  a  mountain 
chain,  peak  after  peak,  foothill  after  foothill. 

To  the  east  stretched  the  wastes  of  the  Colorado 
Desert,  gradually  receding  from  the  base  of  Tauquitz 
Peak,  until  the  eye  failed  to  trace  the  line  where  the 
sky  and  the  desert  met. 

But  the  scenery  was  forgotten  as  we  looked  deep 
into  the  crater  of  the  Tauquitz  Peak.  It  was  a  deep 
cavity  in  the  top  of  the  peak,  with  rough  and  ragged 
edges.  It  was  surely  dangerous.  One  would  not 
descend  into  it  for  fear  of  being  unable  to  climb 
out  again. 

After  two  hours  of  sightseeing  we  walked  lei 
surely  toward  home.  We  passed  through  dense 
thickets  of  manzanita,  and  under  overhanging  pine 
boughs  with  the  towering  fir  on  one  side,  and  gigan- 


92  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

tic  emblem  of  loneliness,  the  cedar,  on  the  other. 
It  was  not  yet  dark,  and  the  pine-crows  were  singing, 
almost  making  one  believe  that  even  the  tree  boughs 
blended  with  their  voices  to  make  the  sweet  music. 
It  was  truly  "a  paradise  del  California,"  as  Porta 
said,  and  we  gave  three  loud  cheers  for  the  beauties 
about  us. 

Night  soon  closed  in  upon  us ;  the  gray  peaks 
grew  shadowy,  and  where  the  thickets  and  over-hang 
ing  tree-boughs  swept  the  earth  the  darkness  was  -till 
more  dense. 

The  dawn  brought  with  it  sore  disappointment. 
Instead  of  a  bright,  clear  morning  all  was  shadowy 
and  gloomy,  clouds  having  gathered  about  during  the 
night.  '-But  a  fleecy  cloud  coating,"  said  Benja 
min  hopefully.  We  argued  through  breakfast  about 
the  weather,  and  after  packing  our  two  burros  left 
the  sheltering  cabin. 

Benjamin  and  I  were  thinking  of  his  dream. 
And  so,  true  to  our  plans  he  led  the  way,  taking  our 
little  party  down  and  down,  as  lie  guided  himself  by 
a  cow  path  zigzagging  its  way  toward  the  desert. 

"I  am  reminded  of  one  prominent  point  in  the 
Alps,"  remarked  Mrs.  Wells,  as  we  all  came  t<>  an 
abrupt  stop  upon  a  shelf-like  ledge.  "See,"  and 
she  called  our  attention  to  a  gorgeous  canyon 
far  below.  It  truly  was  magnificent,  yea,  inspiring; 
for  here  was  a  perfect  blending  of  color  and  form. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  93 

Unexpectedly,  Mr.  Wells,  who  had  said  very  little 
all  morning,  questioned  our  whereabouts. 

"Don't  you  think  we  shall  get  lost?"  questioned 
Porta. 

"You  little  coward,"  scolded  Benjamin,  "any 
one  can  follow  this  trail. ' ' 

"Boys,  I  dislike  this  part  of  the  mountain,"  said 
Mrs.  Wells,  taking  part  with  the  other  complaining 
ones. 

"State  the  case,  Mrs.  Wells,"  commanded  Ben 
jamin,  as  though  he  were  in  court  examining  a 
witness. 

"Well,  for  one  thing  it  looks  much  as  though 
we  were  near  the  haunts  of  criminals." 

"Nonsense  !  Mrs.  Wells,  this  is  almost  as  lively 
as  Market  Street  in  San  Francisco." 

"Yes,  sixty  years  before  the  war  of  1812," 
replied  Mrs.  Wells,  not  to  be  outdone  in  the  matter. 

Tired  and  lame  from  the  day's  riding,  our  party 
decided  to  camp  in  a  little  garden  spot  just  before 
us.  Here  under  the  canopy  of  a  solitary  oak,  we 
pitched  the  two  tents.  We  surely  had  many  things 
to  be  thankful  for.  A  storm  raging  all  the  afternoon 
on  the  desert,  had  not  risen  to  our  height  at  all. 
But  by  night  things  were  taking  a  decided  change  for 
the  worse.  The  distant  storm  was  showing  signs  of 
rising  with  the  oncoming  darkness. 

"I  wish  Mr.    Wells   would  be   a  little   funny," 


94  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

said  Benjamin  to  me,  while  we  were  testing  the 
strength  of  the  guy-ropes.  I  know  that  if  we  could 
just  get  him  started — "  But  here  Mrs.  Wells  inter 
rupted  by  asking  if  we  should  not  do  something  to 
thwart  the  fury  of  the  storm.  "Hold  the  tents  over 
you,  and  I  guess  all  will  come  out  right,"  replied 
Benjamin,  jokingly.  But  Mrs.  Wells  was  not  in  a 
joking  mood,  and  turned  away  disgusted.  Another 
moment  and  a  flash  of  lightning  brightened  the 
heavens,  causing  Mrs.  Wells  to  scream  and  dodge 
into  the  tent. 

"I'll  stir  the  girls,"  said  Benjamin,  and  he 
called  Porta  and  Gertrude  from  under  their  canvas 
shelter.  "See  the  heavens,  girls,  how  they  roll  as 
yeasty  waves  upon  the  sea!"  But  no  sooner  were 
the  words  uttered  than  the  whole  mountain  side  was 
lurid  with  a  flash  of  lightning.  Closely  following  the 
flash  came  the  heavy  roar  of  thunder. 

A  little  way  down  the  slope  the  eight  burros 
were  bunched,  much  as  a  swarm  of  bees  on  the  honey 
comb.  "Catch  their  expression?"  asked  Benjamin, 
pointing  down  toward  them.  They  stood  with  ears 
straightened  before  them,  closely  fortified,  which  has 
given  rise  to  the  expression,  "What  destroys  one 
destroy  all." 

A  light  mist  began  to  fall,  driving  Porta  and 
Gertrude  back  under  their  canvas  shelter.  Trailer, 
who  was  faithfully  watching  us  brace  the  tents,  gave 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  95 

a  sniff  at  the  damp,  chilly  wind,  barked  dolefully, 
and  scampered  into  the  tent. 

"There'll  belittle  pleasure  for  us  until  this  storm 
is  over,"  I  remarked,  my  voice  unusually  serious. 

"I  am  not  very  sorry  for  you  and  me,"  Benja 
min  returned,  "for  we  deserve  it,  but  I  must 
acknowledge  that  it  is  a  sin  to  have  the  girls  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wells  out  in  this  kind  of  a  storm." 

The  storm  came  even  earlier  than  we  had 
expected,  driving  Benjamin  and  me  under  shelter. 
For  an  hour  we  lay  in  our  tent ;  then  I  went  out  to 
see  how  the  others  were  fareing. 

With  one  ear  against  the  cold,  wet  canvas  of  the 
other  tent  I  paused  to  listen.  To  my  discomfort  I 
heard  someone  sighing,  "Why  did  the  boys  bring  us 
away  from  the  cabin?"  and  the  consoling  voice  of 
Mr.  Wells,  "We  shall  all  be  out  of  here  tomorrow." 
Without  making  my  little  visit  known  I  stole  quickly 
back  to  tell  Benjamin.  He,  to  my  great  sur 
prise,  grew  instantly  angry.  "I  presume  it  is  sister 
Porta ;  she  is  all  the  time  trying  to  cry  herself  out  of 
trouble.  Well,  we  are  in  fpr  it,  and  so  far  as  I 
can  see  there  is  only  thing  left  for  us  to  do, — to  get  up 
some  excitement,  anything  to  drive  away  worry. ' ' 

'Good!"   I    answered,   promising  to  study  out 
something  by  the  time  the  shower  ceased. 

It  was  fully  an  hour  after  this  before  the  shower 
ended,  giving  way  to  a  light  snow.  The  clouds  broke 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  96 

somewhat,  affording  us  a  dim  ray  of  moonlight. 
Barely  able  to  keep  silent,  Benjamin  and  I  and 
Trailer  sallied  forth.  Bringing  from  our  store 
room,  which  we  had  under  a  ledge  of  granite,  one  of 
the  oak-wood  box  pack  saddles,  and  tossing  it  lightly 
upon  the  tent  of  the  four  in  our  party,  we  sicked 
Brave  Trailer  upon  it.  To  my  surprise,  in  a  single 
leap  the  dog  was  squarely  upon  the  tent,  growling 
and  floundering  furiously. 

"Oh!  oh!  Mr.  Wells,  shoot  it,"  screamed  his 
wife.  '-Shoot  it!" 

In  another  instant  we  had  pulled  Trailer  away, 
fearing  that  he  might  be  shot  by  excited  Mr.  Wells. 
We  were  greatly  frightened,  for  as  I  remember  the 
incident  we  stole  back  to  our  tents  in  haste.  The 
joke  had  taken  a  more  serious  tone  than  we  had 
expected  was  possible. 

"Bang!  bang!"  rang  out  two  shots;  and  we 
knew  Mr.  Wells  had  mustered  sufficient  courage  to 
offer  defence  against  the  attacking  beast.  The  smoke 
must  have  been  suffocating  in  the  tent  as  coughing 
grew  furious.  We  heard  one  of  the  girls  in  an  under 
tone  plead  with  Mr.  Wells  to  go  out  and  see  what  had 
become  of  the  boys. 

When  the  excitement  had  somewhat  abated,  we 
hastened  into  the  tent  to  joke  about  the  serious  fun. 

It  may  as  well  be  acknowledged  here  that  we 
received  a  cold  welcome.  We  sought  to  interpret 


MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT.  97 

the  joke  as  a  means  of  cheer  instead  of  fright.  As  I 
remember,  Porta  told  me  I  hadn't  cheered  her  a  bit. 
"Good-night!  may  you  girls  dream  of  lions,  and 
Mr.  Wells  of  pack  saddles,"  was  Benjamin's  parting 
thrust.  I  listened  for  a  "good- night"  in  reply,  but 
none  came.  I,  at  least,  went  to  my  tent  with  a 
guilty  conscience.  I  had  surely  bruised  my  own 
heart,  and  I  was  man  enough  to  know  I  was  wholly 
to  blame. 


98  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

IN  A  SUMMER  STORM. 

A  second  and  much  heavier  shower  was  soon 
beating  down  upon  our  tents.  All  about  us  ran  little 
streams  of  water,  showing  the  rainfall  to  have  been 
very  heavy  higher  up  the  mountain.  We  watched 
these  little  streams  curiously.  They  would  swell  and 
ebb,  then  overflow,  covering  almost  the  entire  moun 
tain  side.  We  saw  we  had  tented  in  a  direct  path  for 
a  great  volume  of  the  waste  water,  and  on  account  of 
this  we  were  obliged  to  place  a  heavy  embankment 
against  the  upper  side  of  the  tents. 

Tired  and  weary,  and  half  drenched  by  the  rain, 
we  at  last  entered  our  tent,  to  get  a  little  sleep.  I 
had  been  in  dreamland  for  perhaps  a  half-hour  when 
Benjamin  woke  me.  Before  I  could  complain  he 
had  whispered  into  my  ear,  "William,  the  waste 
water  has  found  access  to  our  tent." 

"What?"  I  asked  drowsily. 

"I'm  floating  like  a  log  on  a  mill  pond,"  he  re 
plied  coolly. 

"Then  go  out  and  stop  the  flow,"  I  snapped, 
turning  to  resume  my  napping. 

"Did  you  sleep  high  and  dry  last  night,  Mr.  Ben- 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  99 

jamin?"  asked  Gertrude,  her  face  aglow  with  smiles. 

"Yes,  slept  like  a  fish  in  a  river,"  Benjamin 
smiled.  The  mystery  was  soon  out,  for  Porta  had 
burst  into  laughing.  "Someone  of  you  girls,"  said 
Benjamin,  positively,  "broke  the  bank  against  our 
tent. ' ' 

"Not  I,"  said  Porta. 

"Nor  I,"  added  Gertrude. 

This  surprised  Benjamin  so  much  that  he  stood 
for  a  moment  in  deep  study. 

"How  about  it  being  Mr.  Wells?"  I  suggested. 
But  Benjamin  only  laughed. 

We  had  risen  early.  It  had  evidently  snowed 
heavily  all  the  latter  part  of  the  night,  for  at  least 
two  or  three  feet  covered  the  ground.  Everything 
was  so  greatly  changed  that  we  felt  ourselves  strangers 
in  a  strange  land. 

The  snow  continued  to  fall  at  intervals  all  the 
forenoon,  with  no  promise  of  stopping.  We  feared  a 
snowslide  and  transferred  our  tents  higher  up  the 
mountain  to  the  shelter  of  a  granite  ledge.  Early  in 
the  afternoon  a  bitter  cold  wind  blew  from  the  north, 
turning  the  snow  into  ice. 

Porta  Phillips  predicted  a  snowslide,  and  her 
prediction  came  true.  Less  than  half  a  mile  to  our 
right  the  very  top,  as  it  seemed,  of  a  small  sub-peak 
slid  off  its  base,  skidding  down  the  mountain  side 
with  great  speed,  and  producing  a  terrible  crash. 


100  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"See!  see!"  exclaimed  Gertrude,  as  large  gran 
ite  bodies  fell  close  in  the  wake  of  the  first  sliding 
mass.  In  another  second  there  came  echo  and  re 
echo,  telling  us  that  the  mass  had  found  its  level  in  a 
deep  canyon  far  below. 

"It'sdone  with,  thank  God!"  said  Mrs.  Wells, 
soberly. 

A  half-hour  passed  quietly.  It  grew  colder  all 
the  time.  A  second  slide,  considerably  smaller  than 
the  first,  soon  started,  and  raced  with  great  speed 
down  and  down,  until  we  saw  it  plunge  into  a  deep 
canyon  fully  a  mile  below.  The  frequency  of  these 
sliding  masses  aroused  us  to  the  need  of  carefully  ex 
amining  our  protection  against  them,  and  Benjamin 
and  Mr.  Wells  and  I  ventured  out  into  the  snow. 
It  was  lucky  we  made  this  inspection  ;  for  we  soon 
found  that  the  ledge  above  our  tents  was  little  better 
than  pinioned  upon  a  crumbly  granite  base. 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation  we  hurried  be 
low,  told  our  story,  and  were  soon  moving  tents  and 
stores  to  a  more  substantial  shelter  farther  to  the 
right.  When  Porta  objected  that  this  place  was  still 
nearer  to  where  the  first  slide  started,  Benjamin 
laughed.  "A  golden  rule  you  must  learn,  sis,"  he 
said  :  "The  better  you  treat  your  enemy  the  better 
you  are  treated  by  him." 

.Night  was  fast  closing  down  upon  us.     The  fad 
ing  of  daylight  seemed  to  increase  the  dangers.     UA 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  101 

fearful  sight,"  I  whispered  into  Benjamin's  ear,  re 
alizing  that  we  were  in  constant  danger  of  being  buried 
beneath  the  snow.  "A  night  to  be  feared,"  he 
soberly  replied,  walking  nervously  out  into  the  open 
that  he  might  get  a  better  view  of  the  sky.  "The 
clouds  are  becoming  almost  black,"  he  said;  and  I 
heard  him  mutter,  "dreaded  sleet!" 

As  we  feared,  about  nine  o'clock  the  storm  be 
gan.  The  sleet  continued  to  fall  for  t\\  o  hours,  when 
all  grew  still  and  cold.  With  this  great  calm,  save  a 
light  blowing  north  wind,  the  evening  slowly  stole 
into  the  midnight  hours.  A  little  later  things  went 
decidedly  against  us  ;  for  a  heavy  rain  came  up  be 
hind  a  brisk  north  wind. 

How  the  hours  of  that  dreadful  morning  passed 
I  shrink  from  remembering.  I  am  punished  when  I 
harbor  them  in  my  mind .  A  moment  seemed  a  min 
ute,  a  minute  an  hour,  and  a  few  hours  many  weeks. 

It  was  five  o'clock,  if  I  remember,  before  Ben 
jamin  and  I  had  the  courage  to  venture  from  under 
the  ledge  that  we  might  survey  the  stormy  sky. 

We  found  a  blissful  moon  shining  through  an 
opening  in  the  clouds.  This  gave  us  hope.  The 
clouds,  as  we  for  a  moment  watched  them,  all  seemed 
to  be  hastening  northward.  At  times  they  raced 
along  in  a  solid  mass,  then  in  broken  waves.  A  brisk 
south  wind  we  knew  must  be  blowing  higher  up,  or 
else  the  clouds  would  rot  be  scurrying  away. 


302  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

Grasping  an  opportune  time  I  left  Benjamin  and 
the  shelter  to  locate  the  eight  burros.  I  could  not 
find  them.  Startled  by  their  absence,  I  ran  back  to 
give  an  alarm.  As  I  ran,  my  hearing  faculties 
instantly  left  me,  and  I  realized  in  that  moment 
that  I  was  stricken  deaf.  For  only  a  moment 
I  paused  to  listen.  All  was  strange  and  silent; 
still  I  knew  the  wind  whistled  all  about  me,  for  it 
beat  against  my  face.  I  ran  a  few  steps  and  again 
stopped.  Then  and  there  I  wanted  to  find  the  rea 
son  for  the  numbness  of  my  ears.  I  could  not  tell, 
and,  puzzled,  I  airain  started,  running  as  fast  as  I 
could  through  the  snow.  Another  time  I  stopped, 
this  time  feeling  the  ground  trembling  under  my 
feet.  A  slide  was  skidding  down  the  mountain 
somewhere  close  at  hand. 

I  ran  once  more  for  the  sheltering  ledge,  at  last 
reaching  it  and  throwing  myself  against  the  tent. 
Once  under  the  shelter,  my  hearing  faculties  appar 
ently  relaxed,  for  a  grinding  crashing  sound  seemed 
to  gather  volume  as  I  lay  where  I  had  fallen.  I 
raised  myself  in  the  moment's  excitement  and  looked 
back.  The  moon  was  still  lighting  up  the  mountain 
side.  The  slide,  as  I  thought  of  it,  had  struck  terror 
to  my  heart. 

A  description  of  it,  I  cannot  give.  For  a 
moment  I  tried  to  ask  myself  reasonable  questions 
about  it,  but  I  could  not  give  myself  an  answer. 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  103 

It  seemed  as  if  many  forms  were  engaging  in  a  great 
quarrel,  and  all  the  while  racing  downward  to  their 
graves  in  the  depths  of  some  deep  canyon. 

I  do  not  remember  rising  in  that  trying  moment 
and  stumbling  back  farther  under  the  ledge,  but  I 
must  have  done  so.  Arms  encircled  my  neck  ;  I  did 
not  know  whose.  Indeed,  I  should  never  have  known 
had  not  Porta  begun  to  cry,  with  her  head  resting  on 
my  shoulder. 

4 'I  almost  knew  you  went  down  with  the  slide," 
she  sobbed  faintly. 

"No  Porta,  not  yet." 

To  add  to  the  terror  of  the  hour,  Trailer  began 
to  howl,  having  run  out  as  far  as  he  could  from 
under  the  ledge  to  signal  the  storm. 

I  had  fully  thought  Benjamin  a  young  man  of 
great  courage.  But  the  storm  had  tested  him  severely, 
and  he  had  weakened.  He  flung  himself  on  the 
ground  with  the  words,  "Give  me  bitter  death."  I 
should  surely  have  done  likewise  had  not  the  words 
of  one  precious  to  me  stimulated  me  into  being  strong. 
"Oh  merciful  God  !"  and  I  for  the  first  time  since  the 
storm  hung  my  head,  praying  that  God's  strong  arm 
should  be  thrown  about,  our  little  party.  My  weak 
voice  I  knew  was  inaudible  in  the  midst  of  the 
grinding,  scraping  sounds  of  the  slide.  Still  I 
prayed  on. 

"It's  the   old   oak,"    Porta   whispered,  as   some 


104  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

short,  sharp  crashing  sound  broke  the  continuous  roar 
of  the  slide.  Why  she  had  thought  of  the  oak  I 
could  not  say,  and  I  must  have  failed  to  acknowledge 
I  had  heard  her.  I  shall  never  forget  how  hard  it 
was  in  that  perilous  hour  to  divert  my  mind  for  a 
moment  from  the  storm  and  upon  the  one  whose 
feeble  sobbings  made  my  heart  tender. 

All  the  events  for  an  hour  after  the  slide  are 
gone  from  my  memory.  I  found  myself  breaking  up 
the  pack  saddles  that  I  might  start  a  fire,  which  I  did. 
The  little  blaze  gave  an  unusual  brightness,  stirring 
anew  our  hope. 

"Good  news,"  Benjamin  whispered,  coming  in 
under  the  shelter.  '-There  is  only  here  and  there  a 
cloud  in  the  sky,  and  the  cold  north  wind  has  entirely 
ceased,  giving  way  to  a  stronger  and  warmer  wind 
blowing  from  the  southwest." 

Here  and  there  under  the  little  shelter  we  found 
bits  of  broken  brushwood,  which  were  gathered  and 
piled  close  in  about  the  fast  burning  saddles.  We 
could  now  comfortably  warm  ourselves,  knowing  that 
when  the  two  pack  saddles  were  consumed  we  had 
wood  to  replenish  the  fire. 

Upon  the  first  evidence  of  approaching  day, 
Benjamin  set  oh"  through  the  snow.  I  knew  just 
where  he  was  going,  and  likely  of  the  burden  upon 
his  mind,  but  said  nothing.  I  did  not  care  to  arouse 
any  suspicion.  I  knew  he  was  going  to  ascertain 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  105 

whether  or  not  the  eight  burros  had  gone  down  with 
the  slide. 

He  soon  returned,  telling  me  by  a  steady  stare 
the  burros  had  been  swept  away.  "Too  bad,"  I 
whispered  back,  cautioning  him  not  to  announce  the 
loss. 

At  last  broad  day  came  and  we  gladly  saw  the 
clouds  so  long  hovering  about  the  peak  break  away 
and  float  off  across  the  desert,  miles  below  us.  For  a 
moment's  time  we  stood  watching  them.  They  were 
apparently  rolling  in  broken  masses,  now  and  then 
attacking  each  other,  and  playing  hide-go-seek,  as 
Gertrude  expressed  it. 

Time  was  dragging  heavily,  and  each  of  us  was 
praying  for  cessation  forever  of  mountain  storms. 
The  rising  sun  shot  its  shimmering  lines  of  light 
against  the  mountain  side.  To  a  painter  this  morn 
ing  sunrise  against  a  snow-mantled  mount  should 
have  been  gorgeous,  but  to  us  it  was  as  unappreciated 
as  though  it  were  a  blur. 

Mr.  Wells,  still  lying  in  a  precarious  condition, 
at  last  faintly  asked,  "Where  are  we?"  With  these 
few  words  he  grew  quiet.  His  anxious  wife  was 
bending  over  him  rubbing  his  cold  hands  and  asking, 
"Henry,  dear,  are  you  feeling  bad?"  "Yes,  mother," 
came  the  feeble  reply.  "The  activities  of  the  world 
disturb  me." 

While  we  all  stood  about  Mr.  Wells,  the  morn- 


106  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

ing  advanced.  Each  had  likely  decided  within  his 
own  heart  the  whereabouts  of  the  eight  burros,  but 
who  should  be  first  to  announce  the  sad  fate? 

The  giant  oak  tree  of  yesterday  was  gone.  Its 
old  habitation  was  now  a  barren  spot,  like  the  Alpine 
Ranges. 

"Henry,  dear,"  asked  Mr.  Wells'  patient  wife, 
"do  you  feel  able  to  move  about?" 

"Oh,  mother,  I  can't  say  that  I  feel  at  all ; 
to  me  this  great  change  has  been  a  blank.  It's  all 
my  fault,  for  I  knew  well  last  night  I  should  keep 
moving  about  or  I  would  take  a  chill,  and  then — and 
then — "  Here  there  came  an  impediment  in  Mr. 
Wells'  speech,  but  he  at  last  half  whispered,  "I'm  a 
fool." 

"The  pack  saddles  were  too  much  for  your  brav 
ery,"  Benjamin  teased.  But  Mr.  Wells  was  not  in 
a  joking  mood,  as  we  soon  saw. 

"Here,  here,  Benjamin,"  I  interrupted;  but  he 
would  give  answer,  "Indeed,  Mr.  Wells,  it  has 
taken  us  all  the  morning  to  get  the  lead  out  of  the 
saddles." 

"You  fool !"  said  Mr.  Wells  disgustedly. 

Benjamin  now  asked  each  of  the  party  to  arouse 
an  appetite,  while  he  gave  the  food  box  an  overhaul 
ing.  "Come  now,  children,  it  shall  be  the  food  you 
eat  that  shall  strengthen  you  for  the  furthering  of  our 
trip  in  the  mountains." 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  107 

"No  furthering  with  me,"  firmly  replied  Porta. 
"Nor  I,"  "Nor  I ;"  and  I  joined  in  with  the  chorus 
myself,  just  to  make  it  unanimous. 

"Voted  upon  and  unanimously  carried,  that  we 
hasten  out  of  these  mountains  at  a  double  quick," 
Benjamin  recited. 

"Woman  suffrage  is  what  is  ailing  the  voting, " 
Gertrude  remarked,  bringing  forth  a  good  laugh  from 
all  save  Benjamin. 

The  warm  sunshine  was  now  fast  melting  the 
snow.  The  small  shrubs  and  oaks  were  shaking 
themselves  of  their  heavy  burden. 

Gentle  reader,  stay  with  the  six  worn-out  souls 
for  a  day.  You  may  lose  every  cut  of  pain,  and  even 
the  thought  of  the  trial  that  haunts  them  as  fresh 
memory  recalls  the  horrors  of  the  night  in  the  storm  ; 
but  stay  !  Mr.  Wells  is  now  wholly  unfit  for  travel, 
the  others  of  the  party  are  so  weary  as  to  be  indiffer 
ent,  and  lastly,  Brave  Trailer,  the  princely  blood 
hound,  is  unable  to  speak  out  his  thoughts.  We  are  to 
content  ourselves  with  living  through  another  day  in 
this  wilderness  of  the  mountains. 

The  closing  lines  of  this  chapter  shall  pay  high 
est  tribute  to  Porta  Phillips  and  Gertrude  Wells  as 
great  discoverers.  Upon  their  going  to  the  spring, 
they  discovered  what  at  first  sight  was  false,  puzzling, 
perplexing.  They  found  a  clean-swept  granite  stair 
way  ;  a  rude  stairway,  to  be  sure  ;  still  in  all  its  im- 


108  MYSTIC  A  ALGCOAT. 

perfections  it  led  artistically  down  to  the  brink  of 
the  little  spring. 

Each  of  the  party  made  haste  to  look  at  it. 
"What  a  life  nature  is,"  remarked  Mrs.  Wells. 
"What  mechanical  ideas  it  must  have.  First  a  foun 
dation  of  purest  granite  upon  which  nature  builds  the 
steps.  Certainly  mother  nature  has  countless  freaks. 
Here  are  slabs  of  hardest  granite ;  it  is  a  stairway 
artistically  hewn,  architecturally  lain,  flat  for  steps, 
edgewise  for  standards. ' ' 

Immediately  after  dinner  I  went  for  the  fourth 
time  to  look  at  the  stairway.  It  led  up  the  mountain 
side,  going  on,  and  on,  up  and  up.  To  me  it  became 
a  deeply  perplexing  problem.  I  was  unable  to  see 
its  use. 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  109 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  GREAT  DISCOVERY. 

To  build  the  stairway  had  undoubtedly  required 
centuries  of  earnest  toil.  It  was  wonderful,  I  told 
myself,  studying  it  for  a  moment.  Hewn  slabs  of 
granite  apparently  ran  up  the  mountain-side  for  a 
mile.  These  were  of  uncommon  size.  Hastily 
measuring  them  with  my  eye,  I  decided  they  were  ap 
proximately  fifteen  inches  in  length  by  four  in  width. 
The  standards  holding  up  these  steps  were  about  five 
inches  in  height.  All  this  seemed  to  prove  that  the 
people  walking  upon  them  were  exceedingly  small  in 
stature. 

"A  freak  of  nature,"  was  the  way  Mrs.  Wells 
put  it,  and  I  laughed  to  myself.  Yes,  and  truly  a 
difficult  task  for  nature,  if  nature  did  the  work. 

I  had  seen  enough  for  this,  the  [fifth  time,  and 
turned  back  to  the  tents.  Here  I  found  our  little 
party  discussing  the  mysteries  just  discovered. 

"What  a  wonderful  thing  life  is,  anyway," 
gasped  good-natured  Benjamin,  bracing  himself 
against  a  granite  ledge. 

"Yes ;  can  it  be  that  a  link  connecting  our 
selves  with  men  of  ages  ago  has  just  been  found?" 


110  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

ejaculated  Mr.  Wells,  seating  himself  close  to  Ben 
jamin  :  "Men  as  ourselves,  soul  and  body  as  Benja 
min?" 

Presently  Benjamin's  conversation  drifted  di 
rectly  upon  the  past  and  what  might  have  prevailed 
then. 

"I  am  half  convinced  through  this  discovery  that 
these  very  mountains  ages  ago  were  peopled,"  said 
Gertrude. 

"Yes,  and  these  people  drank  of  the  little  spring, 
and  nourished  their  bodies  upon  the  products  of  -this 
little  garden  spot,"  added  Porta. 

The  discussion  waxed  warmer  and  warmer,  and 
being  of  little  interest  to  me,  I  quickly  slipped  away, 
starting  back  to  look  at  the  little  spring  and  the 
stairway.  The  waters  of  the  former  were  now  a 
muddy  little  pool. 

Uneasy,  I  retraced  my  steps  to  the  tents.  Porta 
and  Gertrude  were  now  singing  "Climbing  Up  'Em 
Golden  Stair. "  The  song  broke  the  dead  silence  of 
the  lonely  mountain-side  and  made  me  feel  much  like 
stirring  myself  shouting,  "Oh  let  the  echoes  never 
die!"  But  after  all,  the  music  was  not  sufficient  to 
comfort  me.  I  was  still  weighing  in  my  mind  what 
promised  an  interesting  study  for  the  scholars  of  the 
world. 

"What  means  this  stairway,  and  by  whom  was 
it  built?"  I  soberty  asked  myself  over  and  over,  as  I 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  Ill 

turned  to  look  back  toward  the  spring.  "Perhaps  it 
is  my  eyes  that  are  false;"  and  I  pondered,  feeling 
much  like  returning  to  see  if  the  stairway  were  really 
there. 

A  lost  people  designed  the  magnificent  stairway, 
1  told  myself.  This  raised  other  questions.  Had 
this  mountain-side  afforded  ampin  room  for  an  intel 
ligent  and  industrious  race?  Who  are  these  people, 
and  where  are  they?  Do  they  still  live,  or  are  they 
an  unrecorded  nation  of  generations  ago? 

To  the  Saboba  Indians  I  knew  this  mountain-peak 
owed  its  name.  But  I  felt  that  it  could  not  have 
been  this  tribe,  and  I  became  all  the  more  entangled 
in  the  meshes  of  the  problem.  It  would  be  foolish  for 
you  to  seek  to  convince  a  Saboba  of  an  industrious 
race  that  once  inhabited  Tauquitz ;  for  the  Indian 
would  spurn  you  from  him,  saying,  if  you  understood 
his  mutterings,  "Foolish  white  man;  evil  spirits  can 
not  enjoy  true  industry." 

Brave  Trailer  surely  saw  by  my  long-drawn  face 
that  I  was  troubled,  for  he  lapped  my  hand,  with 
ears  cocked  up  as  if  to  ask  :  "Can  I  not  explain  it, 
master?" 

All  had  come  to  me  in  the  fancies  of  a  dream. 
I  had  fallen  asleep  very  early  in  the  afternoon.  Ben 
jamin  had  just  awakened  me  for  supper. 

After  eating  I  left  word  that  I  was  after 
wood,  and  stole  away  to  look  upon  the  stairway  for 


112  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

the  last  time  that  night.  I  surely  must  have  been 
wholly  oblivious  to  the  surroundings,  as  I  went  for 
ward  with  my  head  drooped  upon  my  shoulders,  for 
a  flashing  across  my  eyes  suddenly  stopped  me.  I 
turned  about,  and  stooped  to  pick  up  what  I  had 
trodden  upon.  It  was  stone,  my  first  glance  told 
me,  reddish  brown  in  color.  I  stooped  lower  that  I 
might  gather  up  the  little  fragments  into  my  hand  to 
test  them  for  their  worth,  but  they  crumbled  into  a 
brownish  dust.  I  passed  on,  keeping  a  sharp  look  upon 
the  ground  before  me.  "  'A  mountain  of  mystery,' 
is  a  good  title,"  I  said;  and  I  stopped  to  wind  my 
watch  and  learn  the  time  of  day. 

After  a  time  I  came  upon  many  little  particles 
of  similar  composition.  These,  I  decided,  were  chips 
of  earthen  vessels.  With  one  broken  bit  clasped  in 
my  hand,  I  turned  about  and  hastened  back  to  startle 
the  party  with  conclusive  evidence  of  the  workings 
of  men  long  since  dead. 

"Pleasure  aside  for  a  moment  and  to  a  little 
business,"  I  abruptly  addressed  the  party.  "Here 
is  the  fruit  of  this  day's  gleaning."  I  exhibited  the 
little  bit  of  burnt  clay.  "Be  convinced  or  doubt,  as 
you  will."  I  delivered  the  little  particle  to  Ger 
trude.  I  had  seen  and  felt  clay  modeled  by  potters 
as  long  ago  as  Testament  times. 

"How  can  it  be  possible?"   Gertrude  said,  with 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  113 

great  emphasis,  as  she  examined  very  closely  the 
bit  of  clay. 

"You  are  always  fooling  us  girls,  Will,"  added 
Porta,  doubting  that  I  had  handed  Gertrude  anything 
other  than  a  pebble. 

"I  am  not  fooling  this  time;  here  is  the  burnt 
clay.  Now  I  wait  quietly  for  your  decision." 

I  did  wait  patiently,  but  as  I  did  not  receive 
the  decision,  I  asked  a  second  time  that  they  account 
for  the  clay. 

"Fairies,"  replied  Porta  smiling.  "Yes,  a  good 
night  for  fairies  to  do  such  a  grand  piece  of  work  in 
solid  granite,"  added  Mr.  Wells. 

"Come  young  folks,  decide,  as  with  me  it  is  a 
mystery."  Mr.  Wells  emphasized  the  word  "mys 
tery,"  by  a  determined  shake  of  his  head. 

"Yes,  God,  through  his  good  providence,  reveals 
new  things  for  men  to  study,"  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Wells.  "Man  hardly  solves  the  mysteries  about  him 
in  the  world  before  the  Omnipotent  brings  forth  from 
the  earth's  bosom  secrets." 

"Yes,  God  is  the  supreme,  "acknowledged  Benja 
min  ;  "still  I  cannot  see  why  God  should  alarm  such  in 
significant  creatures  t"with  such  perplexing  problems. ' ' 

"Men  are  all  insignificant  until  they  do  some 
thing  to  make  them  great,"  replied  his  sister  Porta. 

"Unless  born  with  the  title  of  duke  or  princess," 
added  Gertrude. 


114  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"Something  Benjamin  doesn't  know,"  muttered 
Benjamin,  his  reply  sounding  much  as  though  he  had 
muffled  his  voice  far  down  in  his  throat. 

The  discussion  drew  to  a  close,  as  the  evening 
hours  passed  into  those  of  the  night.  A  brisk  north 
wind  was  soon  swooping  down  from  the  mountain 
peak,  promising  an  exceedingly  cold  and  clear  night. 

The  next  day  dawned  bright  and  warm.  The 
old  mountain  skirts  still  loomed  up  in  the  distance. 
The  glaring  desert  was  the  same  trackless  waste.  A 
few  scattering  clouds  dotted  the  sky,  silently  recall 
ing  to  our  minds  the  horrors  of  the  former  storm. 

After  early  breakfast  we  were  off  to  the 
spring,  and  to  the  granite  stairway  that  led  up  the 
mountain-side.  The  existence  of  such  a  stairway 
seemed  impossible.  But  it  was  there,  and  we  looked 
upon  it,  resolved  to  trace  it  on  up  the  mountain. 

"Fairy  hunting,"  remarked  jovial  Porta,  only  to 
bring  forth  a  similar  expression  from  Gertrude. 

"Foolish,  giddy  girls,  to  my  notion,"  soberly 
replied  Mr.  Wells,  his  voice  having  a  marked  strain 
of  seriousness  in  it. 

At  one  point  far  along  the  little  stairway  Brave 
Trailer  began  to  act  strangely,  running  back  to  us 
and  taking  refuge  close  behind  Benjamin.  He  had  a 
right  for  his  fear,  as  we  soon  saw.  A  few  yards 
further  on  we  came  before  an  opening  in  the  ground, 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  115 

out  of  which  poured  the  most  hideous  roaring  and 
moaning  sounds. 

For  the  moment  each  was  bereft  of  speech.  As 
I  looked  at  the  dazed  party  I  could  think  of  but  one 
comparison.  We  seemed  as  a  forest  of  dead  pine 
trees  ;  speechless,  lifeless,  almost  ghostlike. 

For  many  moments  we  stood  looking  down  into 
the  cave,  listening  all  the  while  to  notes  of  mournful 
music.  The  strangeness  of  the  cave  soon  wore  away  ; 
and,  tired  from  the  climb,  we  thought  it  best  to  go 
into  camp,  and  then,  in  the  afternoon,  come  back. 

While  Mrs.  Wells,  assisted  by  Porta  and  Ger 
trude,  prepared  our  dinner,  and  Mr.  Wells  gathered 
wood  and  brought  water  from  the  spring,  Benjamin 
and  I  stole  away.  In  the  secrecy  of  a  distant  can 
yon  we  planned  that  which  we  knew  would 
meet  with  disapproval  from  our  party.  Carefully 
and  thoughtfully  we  considered  every  point.  All 
pointed  to  one  thing,  Benjamin's  peculiar  dream 
while  he  was  in  San  Jacinto. 

Why  should  we  falter,  now  that  the  opportune 
time  had  come?  Why  give  up  when  we  had  with 
stood  the  perils  of  the  mountain  storm?  To  go  back 
would  be  suicide,  and  we  finally  decided  to  push  on. 
Evidences  all  about  us  proved  that  men  had  once 
inhabited  the  cave,  and  it  was  only  reasonable  to  sup 
pose  that  we  could  do  the  same.  So  we  decided  to 


116  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

go  straightway  that  afternoon  and  explore  all  lying 
within  its  sacred  bounds. 

Benjamin  broke  the  startling  decision  to  the 
others  of  our  party,  and  he  did  it  successfully,  for 
which  I  most  heartily  thanked  him. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  we  were  at  first  laughed 
at,  but  when  it  was  seen  we  wrere  in  earnest,  laughter 
turned  to  seriousness. 

"Reckless  young  men  throwing  promising  lives 
away,"  were  the  words  Mrs.  Wells  used  in  her  en 
deavor  to  keep  us  from  the  undertaking. 

"Foolish  young  men,  thoughtless  of  danger," 
added  Mr.  Wells.  "Never  mind,  boys,  experience 
teaches  dear  lessons,"  murmured  Porta,  looking  at  her 
brother  with  a  sober  face. 

The  expected  bitter  argument  had  arisen  ;  Ben 
jamin  and  I  were  on  the  one  side,  Porta,  Gertrude 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells  on  the  other.  We  won,  but 
we  had  to  promise  most  faithfully  that  we  would  be 
in  the  cave  no  longer  than  the  second  day.  Our 
promise  mended  all  rent  affections,  and  now  we  had 
the  hearty  best  wishes  of  all.  Hastily,  we  gathered 
up  a  small  sack  of  provisions,  filled  a  large  canteen 
with  water  and  started. 

To  this  day  tears  come  into  my  eyes  as  I  recall 
the  sad  faces  that  were  there  to  bid  us  "God-speed." 

If  at  any  one  time  in  my  life  I  was  afraid,  it  was 
as  I  stood  upon  the  brink  of  that  mysterious  cave, 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  117 

looking  down  into  it,  then  up  into  the  face  of  Porta 
Williams.  For  a  moment  I  drew  her  to  my  side.  I 
wanted  to  cry  like  a  child.  Chancing  my  life  with 
the  elements  of  the  cave  I  knew  well  was  chancing  the 
life  of  one  dear  to  me. 

"I'm  surely  coming  out  of  this  cave  a  living  be 
ing  to  honor  and  to  bless  you,"  1  told  Porta.  Then  I 
tore  myself  away.  "Goodbye,  goodbye!"  I  turned 
to  place  my  foot  upon  the  little  stairs  leading  into 
the  darkened  depths.  I  saw  Benjamin  just  bidding 
Gertrude  a  like  farewell. 

In  another  instant  Porta,  his  sister,  was  resting 
her  head  upon  his  shoulder,  and  he  was  kissing  her  a 
brotherly  goodbye. 

Each  knew  well  we  were  only  men,  with  but  one 
life,  and  that  tossed  between  life  and  death. 

How  I  cherished  the  sad  parting !  Yet  I  did  it 
against  my  best  welfare,  for  it  made  me  long  for 
someone  to  love. 

Slowly  and  cautiously  we  descended  into 
the  cave.  For  a  time  we  paused  to  steady  our  nicker 
ing  candle-light. 

Feebly  we  could  hear  from  above  two  voices 
praying  earnestly  to  God  to  preserve  our  lives.  A 
moment  we  paused  listening  to  these  pleadings,  then 
pushed  on.  How  long  those  pleadings  went  up  be 
fore  the  Throne  of  Grace  I  cannot  say.  Weakened 
and  now  regretful  over  the  start  we  had  made,  I 


118  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

smote  my  breast,  crying,  "Oh  my  God,  comfort, 
bless  and  strengthen  two  pure,  loving  girls."  And 
there  in  the  dark  cave  we  knelt  down,  each  offer 
ing  up  in  turn  a  prayer  that  to  this  day  I  thank  God 
for  fully  answering. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  119 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

EXPLORING    THE    UNEXPLORED. 

"We'll  surely  stir  up  a  nest  of  hornets,  if  noth 
ing  else,"  Benjamin  coolly  remarked,  lighting  a 
second  candle.  This  he  held  before  him,  and  we  saw 
a  weird  scene,  one  calculated  to  remain  in  the  mem 
ory  throughout  a  lifetime.  We  were  encompassed 
in  a  passageway  of  pure  granite.  Ghostly  figures 
seemed  wildly  dancing  upon  the  cold,  clammy  ground. 
But  even  with  all  this  to  warn  us,  we  ventured 
deeper  into  the  unexplored  domain. 

Before  many  moments  Brave  Trailer  checked  us, 
his  barkings  frightening  us  into  the  profoundest  si 
lence.  From  that  instant  neither  Benjamin  nor  I 
spoke.  Our  eyes  were  upon  the  many  ghost-like 
figures  as  they  danced  against  the  wall,  to  the  right, 
the  left,  and  above.  We  wanted  to  run  back  up 
through  the  passage,  but  we  knew  the  stairway  was 
narrow,  and  fearing  a  crush  stood  still  and  wondered 
what  was  the  best  thing  to  do. 

"Fools  !"  I  said  to  Benjamin,  shortly. 

"Cowards,"  he  replied,  briefly. 

Then  again,  just  when  we  were  about  to  continue 
going  deeper,  Brave  Trailer  sprang  forward,  at  the 


120  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

same  time  emitting  such  a  roaring  growl  as  to  chill 
the  very  blood  within  us.  With  great  force  I  jerked 
him  back,  but  it  was  of  little  use  ;  for  he  only  tugged 
the  harder  at  his  rope. 

Greatly  frightened  at  this  wild  behavior  of  our 
dog,  we  advanced  with  the  candles  well  before  us. 
For  a  moment  we  saw  nothing  of  an  alarming  nature, 
and  wondered  why  our  dog  should  act  so  unruly. 

"Push  him  off  into  the  space  below,"  said  Ben 
jamin,  knowing  that  Trailer  would  then  engage  the 
unknown  being. 

At  first  I  blankly  refused  to  consider  the  act, 
but  as  soon  as  the  seriousness  of  our  position 
dawned  upon  me  I  gladly  consented  offering  my  as 
sistance. 

"Grip  your  revolver,  Benjamin,  for  it  may  come 
to  a  fight  for  life."  Then  I  gave  Brave  Trailer  a 
hard  push,  forcing  him  off  the  little  landing. 

A  long  moment  of  suspense  followed,  as  we  ner 
vously  waited  upon  the  outcome  of  the  act.  "Benja 
min,"  I  softly  whispered,  trying  to  attract  his  atten 
tion. 

"What?"  he  soon  whispered  back.  I  turned  to 
him  and  saw  that  he  all  the  while  kept  a  sharp  look 
into  the  shadowed  cavern  below. 

"Is  it  all  ghostlike?"  I  asked. 

"It's  a  man,  a  being  like  ourselves,"    he    wins- 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  121 

pered.  Benjamin  would  not  admit  that  it  was  prob 
ably  some  ghostly  object. 

"We  must  fight,  must  stand  our  ground,  or  we'll 
surely  fall  victims  to  a  strange  people." 

"What?"  asked  Benjamin. 

"A  flight,  with  the  builders  of  the  stairway  in 
pursuit,  would  be  to  our  disadvantage,"  I  added, 
quickly.  "He  who  had  built  the  stairway  would  know 
every  variation,  even  to  the  minutest  crag  protrud 
ing  from  above,  or  jutting  from  the  wall.  To  flee 
means  to  stumble,  to  fall." 

"Who  is  going  to  flee?"  Benjamin  asked. 
"Not  I." 

Then  he  acknowledged  that  he  had  seen  only  a 
shrunken  corpse. 

This  excitement  was  quickly  abated,  and  we, 
ashamed  of  our  great  cowardice,  asked  the  Almighty 
God  for  a  never-failing  courage. 

Trailer,  a  victor  over  the  silent  dead,  we  called 
back.  He  wanted  to  spring  up  and  kiss  me,  but 
could  not,  there  being  in  his  mouth  a  long  rib  bone, 
undoubtedly  that  of  a  man. 

"Brave  Trailer,"  I  said  soberly,  reaching  down 
and  taking  the  bone  out  of  his  mouth,  "have  you 
committed  murder?"  But  the  noble  dog  only 
thought  I  meant  to  commend  him,  whereas  I  meant 
to  scold  severely.  I  stroked  him,  and  once  again 
endeavored  to  explain  the  sin,  but  he  sprang  away. 


122  MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT. 

For  just  a  few  seconds  longer,  while  clearing  my 
weakened  faculties  of  the  possibility  of  man,  I  watched 
him,  listening  to  his  barkings. 

"I  guess  he's  right,  Benjamin,  for  I  now  can 
believe  he  has  discovered  a  link  connecting  us  with 
lost  man." 

"Then  bring  the  candles;"  and  Benjamin  and  I 
hastened  down  to  be  with  Brave  Trailer. 

The  shrunken  corpse,  as  we  stood  there  looking 
down  upon  it,  sorely  tried  us.  There  in  its  dilapi 
dated  state,  inclining  backward,  was  the  skeleton. 
It  was  that  of  a  boy,  or  if  not,  of  a  man  of  exceedingly 
small  stature.  The  thought  of  touching  it  gave 
not  only  Benjamin,  but  myself,  cause  to  shrink  away. 

A  few  moments'  hesitation  only  shamed  me,  and 
I  roughly  gripped  the  frail  form  in  my  hands  to 
examine  it. 

"Too  bad,"  Benjamin  murmured,  as  he  felt  of 
it.  "You  poor  boy,  starving  yourself  here  in  this 
cave  for  a  century.  Is  it  genuine?"  he  next  asked, 
while  I  was  passing  my  hand  over  the  uneven  skull. 

"Marvelous  discovery!"  was  my  reply. 

"I  have  it,  Benjamin,"  I  said  presently.  "We 
havediscoved  a  spirit  that  Indian  tradition  says  lived 
deep  within  the  bosom  of  Tauquitz  Peak." 

"It  may  be  so  and  it  may  not,"  was  his 
answer. 

"Such    proportions!"    ejaculated    Benjamin   a 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  123 

moment  later,  as  he  took  hold  of  the  arm  bone, 
apparently  longer  than  that  of  the  thigh.  "Yes,  and 
see  here ;  its  head  is  very  large.  And  the  shape, 
too.  is  most  unreasonable  ;  it  comes  to  a  point  on  the 
top.  Legendary  history  of  the  Indian  says  that  the 
spirits  residing  within  Tauquitz  Peak  were  exceed 
ingly  small  of  stature."  Then  he  turned  to  Trailer. 
"You  thoughtless  canine,"  he  said.  "It  were  better 
far  for  us  had  you  remained  chained  to  your  River 
side  kennel.  See  there,  naughty  fellow,  you  have 
destroyed  mayhap  the  last  remnant  of  a  pre-historic 
race  of  men." 

Passing  on  we  carefully  placed  the  little  form 
upon  the  landing,  to  carry  it  out  with  us  on  our 
way  back.  But  Benjamin  suggested  that  Porta 
and  Gertrude  might  venture  into  the  cave  and  be 
greatly  frightened.  So  he  gently  removed  the  little 
stranger  to  a  darkened  corner  along  the  stairway. 

From  this  spot  we  made  good  progress,  descend 
ing  unimpeded  deep  within  the  bosom  of  the  moun 
tain.  All  was  promising,  when  to  our  discomfort 
the  little  stairway  branched,  one  branch  taking  a 
downward  trend  to  the  left,  the  other  a  decided 
upward  trend  and  to  the  right.  It  was  confusing, 
we  admitted,  looking  first  up  along  one  lead  and 
then  down  along  the  other. 

Little  knowing    which    one    of   the    two  would 


124  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

prove  to  our  advantage  we  started  on,  following 
out  the  one  leading  upward  and  to  the  right. 

At  last,  being  tired  and  somewhat  weary,  we 
paused  to  rest.  Here  we  sat  in  a  silent  tomb  of  stone, 
little  thinking  we  had  reached  the  terminus  of  that 
particular  branch.  This  tomb  was  but  fifteen  feet 
square.  Bsivjamin,  to  prove  it,  raised  the  candle  so 
as  to  flash  the  full  light  against  each  side.  Just 
before  us,  upon  the  granite  floor  I  saw  corpse  after 
corpse ! 

Not  certain  of  this,  and  thinking  it  likely  imag 
ination,  I  sat  watching  the  figures  as  if  I  fully  expected 
they  would  move  to  convince  me.  Benjamin,  as 
well  as  I,  had  seen  them,  I  knew,  but  he  said  noth 
ing.  I  continued  to  wait,  hoping  he  would  speak. 

"Seven  Indian  Spirits,  drowsy  with  sleep," 
Benjamin  did  at  last  groan  out,  apparently  counting 
this  number  while  he  said  it. 

"Do  they  breathe?"  I  asked. 

Benjamin  stepped  nearer  them.  "Cold  in 
death." 

Just  then  I  saw  come  over  his  face  a  ghostly 
pale  color. 

"See,  see,  Benjamin,"  I  said,  calling  his  atten 
tion  to  the  wall  which  that  moment  drew  my  gaze 
from  the  seven  ghostly  figures. 

"They    worship    the     sun,"    he  said,    his  eyes 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  125 

steadily  fixed  upward  and  upon  a  round  ball  of 
stone.  "Yes,  they  are  sun  worshippers." 

While  sitting  there  looking  first  on  Benjamin 
and  then  up  at  the  Sun  God,  I  fell  into  a  reverie. 
"You  stone  God,"  I  said  slowly,  "made  so  powerful 
by  the  trust  of  a  great  people."  And  next  I  pitied 
the  dead.  "Oh,  you  poor  wretches,  you  dumb  sun 
worshippers,  you  had  better  have  lived  just  one  day, 
worshipping  the  true  God,  than  centuries  worship 
ping  that  which  is  cold  as  stone." 

Benjamin,  too,  was  deep  in  study,  for  when  I 
broke  from  this  reverie  all  was  quiet,  much  as  though 
death  had  claimed  even  the  living. 

"Benjamin,"  I  said,  breaking  the  long  silence, 
"the  art  designed  in  these  granite  walls  is  magnifi 
cent." 

"Yes,"  he  replied.  Then  all  became  quiet  as 
before.  Why  had  these  people  died,  leaving  un 
written  a  history  of  all  that  over  which  years  of  study 
had  made  them  masters? 

"Yes,  it  is  the  work  of  art,"  I  said  to  Benja 
min  again,  recalling  his  attention  to  the  walls, 
inlaid  as  they  were  with  little  star-shaped  figures. 

"Ah,  I  see;  it  is  a  never-fading  picture  of  our 
solar  system, "  Benjamin  laughed. 

Intermingled  with  the  little  star  figures  were 
two  prominent  round  ones,  probably  the  sun  and  the 
moon.  Everywhere  about  these  two  figures  were 


126  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

correctly  cut  circles  through  which  jutted  in  zigzag 
lines  deep  carvings.  All  was  sufficient  to  convince 
each  of  us  that  the  artist  had  sought  to  portray  the 
smiling  sun  or  the  sunrise. 

A  porous  little  shutter  on  one  side  of  the  tomb 
at  times  permitted  a  dim  ray  of  light  to  shimmer 
through  and  aroused  our  curiosity.  Over  anxious  in 
investigating  this,  we  roughly  tore  away  the  little 
slide,  soon  to  be  permitted  to  look  through  a  narrow 
passageway  upon  an  immense  lake  of  flame.  All 
was  beyond  expression.  We  could  not  comprehend 
what  it  all  meant.  From  that  moment  our  hopes 
seemed  to  rise  to  some  giddy  height. 

It  was  now  long  past  the  hour  for  lunch,  so  we 
sat  down  to  eat.  We  were  soon  to  go  in  search 
of  a  way  by  which  we  might  reach  the  great 
lake  [of  flame.  While  sitting  there  in  that  cold, 
quiet  cavern,  the  chills  coursing  up  and  down  our 
bodies,  we  ate  our  first  meager  lunch  deep  under 
earth's  cover.  Close  beside  us,  sitting  back  upon  his 
haunches,  was  Brave  Trailer,  one  eye  upon  the  seven 
corpses  before  him,  and  the  other  upon  our  scant  eat 
ables.  A  moment's  look  into  the  noble  dog's  promi 
nent  face,  and  one  easily  decided  he  would  willingly 
give  up  his  portion  of  the  lunch  for  just  a  single  toss 
among  these  dead  forms. 

I  was  soon  buried  in  thought,  asking:  "Who  are 
these  people?  Under  what  circumstances  did  they 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  127 

perform  this  work  of  countless  value?  What  man 
ner  of  tools  did  they  use  in  carving  so  artistically  a 
canopy  of  sky,  decking  it  with  its  luminaries,  the 
sun,  the  moon  and  the  other  worlds?  They  are  dead, 
I  acknowledged,  and  are  now,  as  I  think  of  them,  a 
peculiar  people  known  only  to  their  Creator. ' ' 

"Surely  dead,"  interrupted  Benjamin,  dryly, 
overhearing  my  mutterings. 

We  next  retraced  our  steps  to  the  branching 
stairway  which  we  followed,  going  downward  and 
to  the  left.  At  length  all  changed  again,  this 
stairway  rebranching  into  seven  others.  Brave 
Trailer  would  take  any,  as  he  manifested  by  his 
tugging  to  forge  ahead  along  the  first  one,  but 
which  of  the  many  would  prove  to  our  advantage,  was 
quite  another  question. 

Even  now,  so  far  from  the  tomb  encompassing 
the  seven  skeletons,'!  could  not  rid  my  mind  of  one 
thought,  which  I  expressed  to  Benjamin.  "Just 
think,"  I  said,  "had  we  lived  in  that  distant  day  and 
up  to  this  day,  and  had  seen  this  people  working  upon 
their  grand  stairway,  we  would  have  learned  from 
this  watching  all  that  we  are  now  to  wonder  about ! ' ' 

"Foolishness  !"  sharply  replied  Benjamin.  "If 
that  were  so  then  you  could  clearly  and  correctly  de 
scribe  the  way  and  the  quality  of  their  tools,  the 
true  resources  upon  which  they  depended. ' ' 

I  again   overtaxed   his  patience   by   wishing   I 


128  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

might  see  one  of  the  builders  still  alive.  Benjamin 
cut  me  short.  "You  are  but  hoping  for  that  which 
you  do  not  try  to  ferret  out,"  he  said,  sharply.  "You 
must  dig  from  your  own  thoughts,  basing  them  solely 
upon  good  judgment,  just  what  was  done  and  how  it 
came  to  be." 

Following  the  first  branching  stairway  we  were 
soon  led  up  to  an  abrupt  granite  wall.  Up  this  wall 
zigzagged  the  stairway,  at  times  reaching  an  angle 
of  about  forty-five  degrees. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  129 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

AN  UNDERGROUND  SCHOOLROOM. 

Hastily  removing  my  coat,  vest,  hat  and  shoes, 
and  telling  Benjamin  that  I  was  going  to  find  the 
terminus  of  the  stairway  leading  so  abruptly  upward, 
I  was  off. 

At  first,  unaccustomed  to  the  steep  climb,  I  felt 
much  as  would  a  painter  swinging  far  out  into  space, 
knowing  as  he  swung  suspended  in  the  air  that  the 
breaking  of  a  single  fibre  holding  his  plank  would 
hurl  him  to  sudden  death  upon  the  pavement  far 
below. 

With  each  upward  step,  my  bare  feet  set  firmly 
on  the  granite.  Chilling  sensations  soon  called  to 
mind  the  thought  of  treading  on  some  serpent. 

Benjamin  was  soon  far  below  me,  and  I  felt  his 
absence  sorely.  I  was  entirely  alone,  exploring  the 
unknown  depths. 

The  upward  trend  of  this  stairway  soon 
ceased,  giving  way  to  a  nearly  flat  surface,  which 
skirted  the  cave-wall  ahead  as  far  as  I  could  see. 

A  little  further  along  this  flat  surface  was  ab 
ruptly  cut  oif  by  a  granite  wall  rising  high  above  me. 
Circling  backward  was  the  little  stairway,  as  it 


130  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

wended  its  way  in  true  stair  fashion  still  up  and  up. 

The  roughness  of  the  rock  was  rapidly  wearing 
my  bare  feet,  and  I  was  now  pushing  forward  under 
great  pain 

I  had  not  gone  far  before  I  found  myself  enter 
ing  a  large  room,  which  I  scrutinized  very  closely  to 
ascertain  if  ghostlike  skeletons  were  to  be  seen.  I 
found  they  were  not,  and  was  grateful  for  their  ab 
sence. 

"Ah,"  I  whispered  low,  "I  have  a  good  prospect 
of  soon  lifting  the  veil,  still  further  revealing  the 
consummate  villainy  of  Tauquitz,  the  Indian's 
Evil  Spirit. 

I  started  to  go  farther  into  the  room,  when  I  was 
unexpectedly  tripped,  falling,  and  losing  my  candle. 
For  the  next  moment  I  realized  very  little,  receiving 
as  I  soon  learned  a  dazing  bump  on  my  head.  Half 
regaining  my  senses,  I  sat  pondering.  Had  I  fallen 
within  the  immediate  grasp  of  ghosts  that  have 
long  haunted  this  darkened  cell?  If  so,  I  was  surely 
to  die,  I  thought.  Immediately  I  began  nervously 
feeling  all  about  me,  and  wondering  where  my  candle 
might  be  found.  "I  give  up,"  I  admitted  aloud, 
listening  to  the  words  and  their  echoes  that  I  might 
realize  the  true  meaning  of  what  it  requires  for  one 
to  prepare  for  death. 

In  another  moment  I  was  scolding  myself  for 
being  a  foolish  young  man.  I  was  thinking  of  death 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  131 

without  first  searching  my  pockets  for  a  match.  I 
did  search,  and  I  found  the  fragment  of  a  lone 
match.  It  was  only  a  single  broken  one,  and  I  again 
scolded  myself  for  neglecting  to  make  all  preparations 
for  just  such  an  emergency  as  had  now  arisen. 

The  situation,  as  I  knew  well,  was  of  the  most 
critical  nature.  Solely  upon  this  little  fragment  of 
match  was  pinioned  my  future. 

I  took  from  an  inner  pocket  all  such  papers  as 
would  readily  ignite  from  the  smallest  spark. 

Among  these,  I  knew  well,  must  be  letters 
from  Porta  Phillips.  I  would  burn  them,  I  decided, 
then  again  it  seemed  I  could  not.  I  must  act,  though, 
and  that  quickly,  and  for  a  second  time  I  took  the 
papers  in  my  hand,  and  pressing  them  against  my 
bosom  cried  aloud,  repeating  the  cry  several  times, 
"Oh  merciful  God,  I  burn  a  promise  before  dying  in 
this  dark  cell.  "  Then  I  turned  to  the  little  fragment 
of  a  match,  fondling  it  and  praying  that  divine  help 
might  come,  and  with  the  prayer  still  on  my  lips  I 
scratched  the  sulphurous  head  of  the  match  upon  the 
cold  granite. 

A  glorious  result  was  the  reward  of  this  deed 
done  with  prayer  on  my  lips,  and  for  this  I  give  a 
hundred  thankful  omens  to  God.  The  little  bits  of 
paper  readily  ignited,  and  with  this  light  I  was  once 
more  hopeful  of  escaping. 

I  was  upon  my  feet  as  soon  as  the  papers  burned 


132  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

up,  and  found  the  candle,  instantly  lighting  it.  The 
great  trial  which  I  now  believe  to  have  been  one  of 
the  most  trying  in  my  life  was  past ;  my  chances  of 
escape  were  now  good.  As  I  soon  saw,  I  had  unfor 
tunately  tripped  myself  upon  some  implement.  For 
a  moment  it  looked  unreal,  and  then  again  as  I  watched 
it  seemed  a  link  leading  up  to  some  greater  discovery. 

"Concise  evidence,"  I  whispered,  as  though  I 
were  content  with  my  first  hasty  decision.  The  next 
minute  I  had  fully  looked  over  this  implement.  I 
decided  it  was  the  long-lost  link  connecting  the  stone 
worker  of  to-day  with  his  brother  of  an  unwritten 
age. 

The  examination  proved  too  deep  and  far  reach 
ing  for  me  to  give  you  even  a  hasty  description.  All 
that  I  can  say  is  that  the  copper  out  of  which  this 
implement  had  been  milled  was  so  hard  that  I  could 
not  cut  even  a  hairline  across  it  with  the  edge  of 
my  knife. 

Historical  records  are  not  faulty,  I  decided,  as 
though  I  had  doubted  them.  Then  in  that  quiet 
tomb  I  studied,  reciting  at  times  over  and  over  bits 
of  history  wherein  it  is  said  copper  was  once  hard 
ened  by  ancient  races.  The  art  is  lost,  history 
further  records,  and  I  wondered  if  it  were  possible 
for  such  an  insignificant  soul  as  myself  to  discover 
the  lost  processes. 

Just  before  me    was  one  single  pile  of  granite 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  133 

chips,  but  upon  closely  examining  it  I  found  it  to  be 
built  from  many  sectional  parts  of  some  designed 
stairway. 

I  decided  that  I  was  in  the  class-room  for  stone 
workers.  In  this  class-room  the  sons  prepared  them 
selves  to  step  into  the  places  of  their  skilled  fathers. 

The  many  broken  and  unevenly  hewn  pieces  of 
granite,  as  I  handled  them,  became  to  me  fullest 
proof  of  the  many  years  of  practice  required  to  be 
come  competent  in  this  work. 

I  was  next  deeply  impressed  with  the  many  low 
stone  blocks  encircling  me,  and  then  with  a  much 
larger  block  directly  at  my  back.  Around  some 
instructor  must  have  circled  many  students,  I  at  first 
decided  ;  and  then  with  the  flitting  of  the  imagination 
I  saw  close  about  me  those  pupils.  I  paused,  as  I 
looked  upon  them,  to  listen  to  their  concerted  ques 
tionings.  "Where  has  this  giant  come  from?"  one 
would  ask  of  the  other  in  a  feeble  whisper ;  and  he 
in  turn  would  then  whisper  to  me  and  bow  his  head. 
And  then  from  another  pupil  would  come  this  ques 
tion  :  "Did  the  guard  permit  you,  a  young  creature, 
to  enter  this,  our  domain?"  These  curious  beings 
had  little  stature  as  I  conjured  them  up.  They 
were  apparently  comfortably  seated  upon  benches 
of  stone  less  than  ten  inches  high. 

I  was  standing  over  a  large  chest  soliloquizing 
and  telling  myself  that  perhaps  this  was  the  breaking 


134  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

of  a  dawn  that  would  give  birth  to  a  clearer  idea  of 
the  workings  of  lost  generations  of  men. 

One  moment  I  was  reaching  down  into  this  chest 
to  withdraw  from  it  some  strange  tool.  Another 
moment  I  was  withdrawing  my  hand  fearful  of  dis 
placing  the  implement. 

The  strangest  tool  and  the  one  I  cared  most  to 
remove,  was  made  of  some  metal  resembling  copper. 
From  all  appearances  it  had  undoubtedly  been  ham 
mered  and  sharpened  until  it  resembled  a  long, 
bladed  pick.  Perhaps  the  most  puzzling  thing  about 
this  tool  was  its  edge,  it  being  so  nicked  as  to  cause 
one  to  believe  it  was  used  more  for  filing  purposes 
than  for  chiseling  stone. 

Thoughtlessly,  in  that  trying  moment,  I  failed 
to  examine  these  tools  further,  passing  them  by. 

I  was  no  sooner  away  from  these  tools  than  I  was 
searching  my  mind  for  knowledge.  How  did  these 
people  work  in  a  place  of  perpetual  darkness?  I 
knew  if  they  had  done  so  they  were  not  the  descend 
ants  of  the  Mound-builders,  or  the  Mound-builders 
descendants  of  them.  They  were,  then,  an  entirely 
separate  race  susceptible  of  seeing  in  the  darkness. 

Against  the  wall  and  resting  upon  little  granite 
shelves,  were  many  little  square-shaped  stone  pots  or 
vessels,  as  one  chooses  to  call  them.  These  square 
blocks  of  stone  were  scalloped  out,  making  a  stone  pot 
with  a  capacity  equal  to  the  tatom  holes  used  in  an 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  135 

after  day  by  the  Indian  for  milling  of  the  acron. 

A  blackish  brown  substance,  evidently  a  liquid, 
but  now  verging  into  a  solid,  sealed  over  the  little 
pots  about  half  way  to  the  top.  This  scum  I  easily 
extracted,  permitting  the  escape  of  an  odor  which 
thoroughly  convinced  me  of  the  liquid  being  none 
other  than  crude  oil  taken  from  its  natural  reservoir. 

Here  I  had  positive  proof  of  the  use  of  crude 
oil  so  far  back  as  the  stone  age,  and  upon  this  I  pon 
dered,  asking  and  re-asking  myself  many  questions. 
Where  did  these  people  secure  this  oil,  and  how 
came  they  to  be  modern  in  its  uses?  In  an  instant  I 
saw  myself  rich.  There  was  the  probability  of  dis 
covering  oil  wells  richer  than  the  best  of  to-day. 

After  all,  I  was  a  foolish  boy,  I  admitted.  I  was 
again  hoping  for  vain  things  ;  and  with  this  thought 
in  mind  I  stepped  to  another  stone  vessel  to  see  if  it 
was  similar  to  the  others,  and  I  found  it  was. 

Little  could  I  realize  that  crude  oil  had  supplied 
a  lost  race.  Truly  it  had  been  the  race's  advance 
ment  required  it,  they  banishing  the  torch  to  take  up 
methods  more  modern. 

It  was  by  mere  accident  that  the  method  by  which 
these  oil  pots  perform  their  function  was  discovered. 
Two  minute  holes  had  been  drilled  directly  through 
the  bottom  of  them,  through  which,  as  is  the  case  in 
a  fountain  pen,  a  small  flame  was  fed,  drop  by  drop. 

"A  people  long  dead,   carrying  their  arts  with 


136  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

them,  and  known  only  to  their  Creator,"  I  said 
softly. 

Recalling  for  the  first  time  that  my  companion 
was  waiting  upon  me,  I  took  out  my  watch  and 
learned  to  my  surprise  that  it  was  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon. 

I  found  Benjamin  patiently  waiting  for  me. 
Brave  Trailer  was  barking  to  signal  he  had  not  for 
gotten  me.  Benjamin,  as  was  to  be  expected,  began 
questioning  me.  I  only  remember  this  one  answer  I 
gave  him,  which  brought  a  strange  look  into  his  face 
as  I  recited  it.  "We  have  the  wealth  of  the  Indies, 
Benjamin.  Gold,  purest  gold,  cannot  buy  that  which 
is  not  for  sale.  God  blesses  us,  Benjamin  ;  we  have 
a  far  better  gift  than  the  railroad  king  has  in  his  run 
ning  express.  Pen  does  not  tell,  and  words  from 
feeble  lips  do  not  speak  the  history  yet  un 
written,  now  revealed  to  me  in  a  single  hour." 

Soon  we  were  hastening  along  another  stairway 
in  search  of  a  route  to  the  beautiful  phosphorescent 
lake.  A  little  further  along  this  stairway  centered 
with  six  others,  some  leading  out  to  the  right,  others 
to  the  left,  before  and  behind  us,  octopus-like.  For 
a  long  while  we  stood  at  the  center,  undecided  which 
stairway  we  should  follow.  These  waiting  moments 
were  fast  multiplying ;  still  we  argued  and  offered 
suggestions. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  197 

At  last  we  turned  to  follow  the  one  leading 
downward  and  to  the  left.  In  a  few  places  it  became 
necessary  to  hold  tight  to  what  were  Alpine-like 
paths.  Trailer  was  eager  to  guide  us,  but  he  would 
go  here  or  there.  He  was  only  a  foolish  dog  as  to 
seeing  beyond  a  moment's  time. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

WITH    THE    MYSTERIES    OF    THE    SPIRITED    TAUQUITZ     PEAK. 

We  believed  that  just  beyond,  glorious  dawn 
must  lie.  So  we  recklessly  hastened  through  many 
dark  passages,  to  be  once  more  in  a  bright  cavern. 
When  the  goal  was  reached,  we  found  that  the  reward 
was  not  of  itself  a  mere  trifle,  but  that  it  held  out 
still  greater  promises  for  that  beyond.  Just  on  before 
us  was  an  out-spreading  lake,  beautiful  beyond  com 
parison. 

You  who  read  may  think  this  a  freak  of  the  im 
agination,  but  are  you  not  abusing  good  reasoning  in 
this?  With  all  patience  be  seated  for  a  moment  in 
the  ampitheater  of  an  opera ;  the  lights  are  all  extin 
guished,  and  you  sit  there  musing  in  utter  darkness. 
The  curtain  at  last  suddenly  rises,  revealing  in  all 
the  blending  of  beautiful  colors  a  lake  out-stretching 
as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 

See  how  it  flashes,  this  flood  of  soft  light !  How 
pleasing  this  thing  of  beauty  !  In  another  second  all 
grows  dim,  then  reflows  to  the  brightest  ebb,  and 
each  shift  changes  the  aspect.  Ah,  behold  another 
and  far  different  blending  of  colors !  Do  they  not 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  139 

please  the  eye  even  more  than  a  rainbow  and  become 
more  restful  to  the  mind  than  the  green  valleys  of 
Vermont?  Is  not  this  harmonious  array  of  colors  so 
long  lost,  regained  to  man?  and  this  paragraph  does 
not  half  describe  the  scene  before  you. 

Trailer  at  first  hid  himself,  and  then  sprang  for 
ward  as  if  to  drag  us  on  into  the  never-ending  vista 
in  the  distance.  His  doggish  ambition  was  surely  to 
discover  all  in  a  single  day,  but  how  could  we  antici 
pate  so  much?  Our  weary  bodies  were  staggering, 
and  our  eyelids  had  long  since  become  weary  from 
the  constant  flare  of  the  candles. 

I  looked  at  my  watch  for  the  time  of  day,  and 
although  we  were  still  one-  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
lake,  I  saw  that  the  hour  was  six. 

Where  were  we  to  rest  in  this  cave  of  stairways 
leading  to  and  fro?  What  should  our  dreams  be 
during  a  long  night?  "Ghostly  fancies,"  Benjamin 
ventured,  when  I  repeated  the  thought  aloud. 

We  soon  ate  a  scanty  supper,  and  in  a  short 
time  made  ready  for  the  few  hours  of  promised  sleep. 
A  little  later  I  was  awakened  by  a  bright  light  re 
flected  against  the  granite  walls.  Brave  Trailer, 
alarmed  even  quicker  than  I,  sprang  upon  his  fours 
and  emitted  one  of  his  bloodthirsty  growls,  which  he 
quickly  followed  with  a  long  roaring  bark. 

"That's  the  stuff,  keep  on  stirring  about,"  mut 
tered  Benjamin,  half  arousing  himself.  "Don't  you 


140  MYST1CA  ALGOOAT. 

know  it  is  sleeping  hours?"  he  scolded,  at  the  same 
time  covering  his  head. 

"Brave  Trailer  is  warning  us  of  danger,"  I  sober 
ly  responded  ;  at  which  Benjamin  hastily  sat  up  and 
glanced  all  about  him.  "It  is  the  lake  of  flames,"  he 
announced. 

"The  lake  is  relighted  by  some  new  fuel,"  I 
added,  seeing  all  things  stand  out  anew,  and  the  red 
dish  colorings  change  in  an  instant  to  the  whitest 
hue.  "What!  what!"  I  cried,  laying  hold  of  Benja 
min  as  though  I  sought  his  protection.  For  with  the 
changing  of  this  last  color  there  had  come  a  deafen 
ing  rumble,  the  echoes  closely  following,  breaking 
the  silence'of  the  tombs. 

In  another  moment  a  rolling,  bubbling  and 
sparkling ~jwave  of  phosphorescence  coursed  in  over 
the  lake  of  white  flames,  dashing  itself  to  pieces 
against  the  granite  shore.  When  this  wave  had  spent 
itself,  and  alUiad  partially  quieted  down,  a  beautiful 
foam  arose,  passing  off  in  a  vapor.  Soon,  to  add  to 
all  that  had  displayed  itself  so  wonderfully,  came  a 
score  or  more  of  beautiful  rainbows,  all  perfectly 
arched  over  the  lake. 

"The  latest  of  our  discoveries,  the  real  rum 
blings  of  this  mysterious  mountain  peak,"  I  whisper 
ed,  glad  that  there  was  even  a  possibility  of  my 
being  right.  "A  great  lake  made  up  entirely  of  a 
liquid  metal,"  was  my  decision,  as  the  rainbows 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  141 

multiplied,  forming  again  into  entirely  new  de 
signs. 

And  so,  with  sleepy  eyes,  and  with  constitutions 
praying  for  rest,  we  were  solving  or  endeavoring  to 
solve,  the  mysteries  of  a  rumbling  that  never  jars. 

Dark  ghost  corners  were  rapidly  growing  of  less 
consequence,  our  candle's  light  was  becoming  as  in 
significant  as  a  straw  ablaze  amid  a  prairie  fire.  One 
wave  pursuing  another  coursed  over  this  phosphores 
cent  lake,  and  with  each  breaking,  little  ripples  shot 
forth,  displaying  an  hundred  colors.  Before  a  large 
wave,  and  apparently  preceding  it,  came  the  loud 
rumblings  as  of  distant  thunder. 

"It  is  but  the  raging  of  the  Indian  Spirit," 
soberly  whispered  Benjamin,  hearing  a  mighty  wave 
groan  as  it  dashed  into  the  granite  shore  line. 

A  great  wave  raced  in  upon  the  bosom  of  the 
lake,  displaying  itself  grandly.  "Ah,  behold  the 
hundreds  of  little  ripples  in  the  distance,"  said  Ben 
jamin,  calling  my  attention  in  time  to  point  out  a 
high  wave  that  leaped  from  the  bosom  of  the  lake, 
mounted  high  in  the  air,  and  then  with  a  mighty 
splash  fell  over  backward  upon  its  trail. 

The  great  beauty  of  the  lake  made  us  grave.  We 
were  now  caring  very  little  over  the  uncertainty  of 
our  escape.  We  had  become  pupils  in  the  study  of 
the  many  mysteries  that  were  being  unfolded.  In 
the  study  we  were  learning  of  a  lake  and  of  a  people 


142  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

that  likely  inherited  it.   It  is  only  because  flesh  is 
weak  that  we  praise  ourselves  in  a  hopeful   moment. 

"Fare-thee-well,  noble  and  fathomless  lake  of 
grandeur ;  thou  shalt  be  honored  without  limitation 
by  all  history-loving  people  ;  thou  shalt  be  admired 
by  a  cultured  nation.  This  is  true,  they  have  long 
waited  for  a  revelation  of  thy  mysterious  hand." 
And  then  we  turned  to  resume  our  napping. 

"A  few  hours  more  and  we  go  up  and  out," 
were  Benjamin's  first  words  upon  awaking. 

"Are  you  sure?"    I  asked,  testing  Benjamin. 

"Indeed,"  he  answered,  "we  shall  go  when  we 
have  fully  explored  the  very  heart  of  this  Tauquitz 
Peak.  We  have  yet  to  discover  the  reason  for  the 
long  rumbling  of  this  peak." 

The  lake  had  again  resumed  its  role,  though  it 
was  now  an  hour  of  the  morning.  The  shades  of  del 
icate  green  grew  for  a  moment  very  bright,  and  then 
changed  to  a  most  brilliant  purple.  In  a  moment 
this  brilliant  red  re-changed  to  other  indescribable 
hues. 

A  glance  upward  showed  us  a  far  more  beautiful 
aspect  than  the  colorings  of  the  lake  with  its  great 
length  and  breadth.  Decking  the  ceiling  everywhere 
were  white  glassy  clusters,  likely  ages  in  the  process 
of  formation.  Everywhere,  it  seemed,  the  same  lit 
tle  clusters  shone  resplendent  in  their  marvelous 
whiteness.  Like  icicles  under  a  trough  they  hung 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  148 

suspended,  reflecting  a  beauty  that  played  fantasti 
cally  with  a  tantalizing  evanescence.  But  in  a  mo 
ment  this  indescribable  beauty  lost  its  charm  for  us, 
we  became  frightened.  Trailer,  whom  we  had  last 
seen  sleeping  to  his  heart's  content  near  by,  was  miss 
ing.  He  had  deserted  us  and  we  were  left  to  care  for 
ourselves.  Benjamin's  shrill  whistle  echoed  and  re 
echoed.  We  waited,  but  the  dog  did  not  come. 

I  soberly  told  Benjamin  my  idea  of  the  desertion 
of  the  dog.  "It  is  quite  possible  Brave  Trailer  has 
grown  lonely  for  his  kennel  in  the  Riverside  Jail, 
and  has  upon  his  first  thought  of  it  hastened  upward 
and  outward." 

"I  have  had  about  enough  of  this,  anyway," 
Benjamin  admitted.  "This  chasing  after  what  was 
long  ago,  is  not  to  my  liking." 

"If  you  say  go,  Benjamin,  we  will  endeavor  to 
make  our  exit  from  the  cave."  Benjamin  did  not  re 
ply  at  once,  and  I  had  ample  time  to  turn  over  the 
idea  in  my  mind.  I  soon  decided  against  my  own 
proposal,  for  I  did  not  want  to  leave  the  cave  with 
all  the  promises  of  a  something  as  yet  unparalleled. 

"I  do  say  go,  and  I  am  serious  in  the  matter," 
he  said  finally. 

"Yes,  but  you're  too  late  ;  I  have  since  decided 
I  shall  stay." 

"Yes,  there  it  is  again,"    and  Benjamin  began 


144  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

scolding  me  for  taking  back  my  own  words.  "Why 
not  go?"  he  asked. 

It  took  the  next  few  moments  to  persuade  Ben 
jamin  into  staying  some  six  hours  more.  Within  this 
time  we  were  to  explore  the  shores  of  this  lake. 

Hastily  eating  a  scanty  lunch,  we  started  direct 
ly  down  toward  the  lake  of  flames.  In  an  instant, 
when  we  least  expected,  some  beast  sprang  toward 
us,  growling  as  might  a  lioness  eager  for  some  little 
morsel  with  which  to  feed  her  kittens.  "Oh,  Trail 
er,"  I  exclaimed,  afraid  that  this  might  not  be  he. 
"You  are  fooling  me,  sir,"  I  said,  as  I  drew  away 
from  him.  "You  would  kiss  me."  While  I  hugged 
him  tight,  I  whispered  in  his  ear,  "You  naughty 
fellow,  you  have  marred  the  pages  of  newly-made 
history  with  the  marks  of  a  deserter's  hand." 

No  doubt  my  words  went  deep  into  the  dog's 
heart,  for  he  surely  asked  in  his  dog  language,  my 
forgiveness. 

He  was  hardly  away  from  my  tight  grip  and  for 
given,  before  he  again  sprang  forward  and  away. 
We  quickly  turned  back  from  the  lake  to  follow 
him. 

"Go  slower,"  cautioned  Benjamin,  gripping  me 
by  the  arm  and  pulling  me  back. 

"Why?"  I  said,   greatly  surprised  at  his  action. 

"Perhaps  Brave  Trailer  is  leading  us  into  the 
spirit  chamber  of  Tauquitz,  the  one  of  evil." 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  145 

"You  Indian  you,  Benjamin,"  I  said — for  it 
is  only  an  Indian  who  believes  that  to  visit  Tauquitz 
while  you  live  assures  you  of  a  visit  to  him  after 
death — "you  are  a  fool,  Benjamin  Phillips."  I  tore 
myself  away  from  him.  "I'll  go-but  hold!"  I  had 
strong  reasons  for  shrinking  back  from  that  upon 
which  I  had  just  looked. 

"What?  what?"  inquired  anxious  Benjamin, 
not  seeing  the  laboratory  wherein  Tauquitz,  if  there 
be  such  a  person,  experimented  with  his  captives, 
the  Indians.  "You  mean  more  skeletons?" 

"Yes,  but  quite  different  than  heretofore.  The 
bones  rise  to  great  heights  and  have  a  weight  in  tons. " 

I  pushed  ahead,  then  stopped.  I  had  seen  Brave 
Trailer  standing  within  a  little  cove  scalloped  out  of 
the  granite  wall,  before  a  nickering  light.  Quite 
likely,  I  thought,  he  was  wondering  why  all  should 
be  as  it  was  far  under  the  earth. 

Close  about  us  were  skeletons  of  enormous  size. 
Were  they  real?  What  could  they  be  the  parts  of? 
We  had  not  seen  an  animal  whose  bonework  should 
be  of  such  proportions. 

"Animal  remains,"  Benjamin  freely  admitted, 
pointing  out  to  me  large  horns  or  tusks. 

"See  Benjamin,  they  have  posts  for  their  feet, 
quite  unlike  those  mentioned  by  Julius  Ceesar,  for 
they  were  jointed.  I'll  venture  to  say  they  are  re 
mains  of  the  extinct  mastodon  or  mammoth."  I 


146  MYSTICA  ALGCOAT. 

pointed  to  parts  of  the  structure  proving  the  theory. 

But  this  strange  little  fire  on  beyond  Brave 
Trailer  meant  so  much  to  us.  In  fact  the  skeletons 
only  testified  to  death  and  an  unknown  language, 
while  the  little  fire  spoke  for  its  living. 

Fully  believing  someone  had  lately  deserted  the 
little  fire,  we  set  Brave  Trailer  into  following  them 
up  by  the  scent.  He  obeyed  and  was  soon  sniffing 
over  the  entire  floor  »f  the  little  cove. 

UI  cannot  scent  them,  for  they  fly  instead  of 
walk,"  he  must  have  said,  as  he  turned  to  me  and 
kissed  my  hand. 

"Bloodhounds  are  not  just  the  thing,"  Benja 
min  remarked,  criticizing  the  dog  and  citing  incidents 
where  they  had  failed  in  their  purposes. 

"Likely  not,  Benjamin,"  I  admitted,  for  I  was 
thinking  of  a  living  remnant  of  these  people. 

A  strange  odor  and  curling  smoke  became  quite 
noticeable  as  we  drew  near  the  little  fire. 

"It  is  crude  oil  that  supplies  this  fire,"  I  said. 
I  fully  believed  the  natural  reservoir  was  just  under 
the  granite  wall.  I  rubbed  one  hand  against  the  wall, 
and  when  I  withdrew  it  I  saw  it  was  well  blackened  a* 
though  covered  with  an  oily  seepage.  "It's  a  fact, 
Benjamin,  merchantable  oil  has  been  supplying  this 
little  parasite." 

He  pointed  with  disgust  to  the  little  flickering 
flame.  "Yes,  indeed,  it  has  wasted  great  wealth." 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  147 

Then  I  knew  Benjamin  felt  much  like  rushing  in 
upon  the  little  flame  and  fanning  it  out. 

"A  new  theory,  Benjamin,"  I  admitted,  "and 
I  trust  a  feasible  one.  This  oil  spring  has  kept  up 
this  little  flame  since  its  starting  by  a  people  now 
long  dead."  All  about  this  were  veins  running 
through  the  granite  wall,  and  having  a  peaty -like 
appearance. 

As  we  went,  we  stopped  to  procure  a  single  tusk 
of  the  mastodon.  As  far  back  as  the  Mammalian  age 
these  bones  had  lain  here,  we  decided.  Benjamin  be 
gan  to  search  for  a  tusk,  but  I  found  a  good  speci 
men  first. 

"See  here,"  I  called,  "the  teeth  alone  attest 
the  origin. "  I  had  Benjamin's  attention.  "The  molar 
tooth  with  its  little  nipple,  or  masta,  assigns  this 
tooth  to  the  great  mastodon,  as  Mastodon  Giganteus, 
i.  e..  "Giant  Mastodon." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WHERE    THE    8PIBIT8    RUMBLED. 

Straight  down  to  the  shore  of  the  phosphorescent 
lake  we  hastened.  As  we  drew  close  to  the  rushing, 
splashing  metal  liquid,  Benjamin  reminded  me  that 
as  an  old,  hardened  sailor  sees  in  the  great  storm 
only  a  plaything,  we  saw  in  the  lake  a  thing  of  inter 
est  rather  than  of  worry. 

"It  reminds  me  of  an  iron  foundry,"!  remarked, 
stopping  and  looking  into  the  writhing  fluid. 

"Yes,  and  a  vast  foundry  at  that,"  he  replied. 

The  beauty  of  this  lake  continually  charmed  us 
as,  hastening  along  its  shores,  our  eyes  watched  its 
unruly  behavior. 

When  our  hopes  for  even  a  more  beautiful 
aspect  than  the  grand  display  of  blended  coloring 
were  highest,  a  drama  suddenly  unfolded  before  us. 
It  was  such  a  picture  as  the  mind  long  retains.  Back 
from  the  lake  shore,  and  reclining  in  open  graves,  lay 
many  sleeping  the  sleep  of  death.  Hundreds,  dare 
one  say?  Yes,  many  hundreds,  Benjamin  would 
have  it.  At  first  we  felt  it  was  a  terrible,  or 
better,  a  sad  dream.  Exaggeration,  oh  imagination, 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  149 

flee !  the  dead  are  multiplying  from  hundreds  to 
thousands ! 

"Oh,  Bonifacio  Cabse,"  I  muttered.  For  in  that 
trying  moment  I  thought  of  the  Indian  policeman 
who  for  five  silver  dollars  told  me  of  the  Tauquitz 
Legend. 

There  came  up  with  this  flitting  of  my  imagina 
tion  a  well-bound  volume.  Upon  its  cover  I  read  in 
gilt  letters,  "Substantial  History."  And  then  as  I 
tried  to  read  and  re-read  the  title  it  occurred  to  me 
that  the  Tauquitz  Legend,  once  with  me  wholly  fabu 
lous,  was  true  history.  The  Indian  warriors,  five  in 
number  in  history,  had  now  become  thousands.  For 
another  moment,  as  I  silently  watched  the  reclining 
forms,  I  wsa  selecting  the  frame  that  so  sturdily  had 
borne  the  living  flesh  of  Mystica  Algooat.  Close 
beside  her  I  saw  the  stronger  outlines  and  I  called 
them  those  of  her  lover,  Diego  Sinon.  Then,  even 
nearer  than  these,  and  just  before  me,  were  the 
frames  of  Chief  Algooat  and  Judge  Sinon.  They,  as 
I  thought  of  them,  were  still  ruling  their  Indian  dead, 
not  in  flesh,  but  in  spirit.  There  was  the  framework 
beside  them  of  the  wise  man  Lalla,  and  he  too,  in 
his  skeleton  form,  was  directing  this  sleeping  through 
unwritten  centuries. 

All  these  were  my  thoughts  and  my  own 
singling  out  of  characters  once  so  active  in  legendary 
days.  Aroused  by  the  impatient  Benjamin,  I  started 


150  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

on  and  passed  through  the  skeleton  group,  experi 
encing  as  never  before  the  solemnity  of  the  tomb. 
We  had  paused,  as  I  remember,  to  look  back  upon 
the  skeleton  forms  when  we  perceived  a  marked  uni 
formity  in  their  positions. 

"What  means  this?"  asked  curious  Benjamin. 
I  saw  him  tracing  with  his  finger  a  semi-circle. 

"And  the  head  bones  are  facing  the  darkened 
wall,"  I  said,  with  deep  interest.  "Why is  the  back 
turned  upon  this  lake  of  beauty?  Sadness,  Benja 
min,  must  have  been  in  their  hearts." 

Up  against  the  cave  wall  a  grinning  head  looked 
down  upon  us.  With  a  moment's  study  we  knew  its 
purpose  was  sacred.  In  shape  this  idol  head  was 
likely  patterned  after  that  of  its  designer.  Only  for 
one  thing,  and  this  disfiguring  it,  we  should  have  seen 
here  the  grandest  piece  of  stone  art  yet  discovered. 
This  idol  head,  as  we  carefully  made  a  study  of  it, 
took  on  a  new  form,  resembling  some  evil  god.  To 
Benjamin  I  attribute  this  belief.  He  persists  that 
the  idol  head  represented  that  of  the  evil  Tauquitz. 
Perhaps  Bonifacio  Cabse  knew  well  the  name  of 
this  idol,  for  he  always  told  that  his  father  had  taught 
him,  without  a  single  omission,  the  Legend  of  Tau 
quitz.  Very  possible  it  was  too,  that  should  Boni 
facio  Cabse  know  of  his  father's  god  still  in  stone, 
he  would  worship  it. 

This  idol  head  bore  horns  of  wickedness  and  sup- 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  151 

ported  ears  of  wonderful  acute  hearing.  Here  again 
the  Tauquitz  Legend  proves  itself.  Bonifacio 
Oabse  sincerely  told  me  that  Tauquitz,  with  his 
mighty  ears,  heard  him  telling  me  for  the  five  silver 
dollars,  the  sacred  revelation  of  his  being. 

But  we  were  forced  to  pass  this  idol  hastily,  and 
we  did,  trusting  that  whosoever  our  successors  were 
in  the  gathering  of  Indian  history,  they  would  become 
so  deeply  interested  as  to  go  back  to  the  Indian  in 
his  day,  and  there  pick  up  the  string  where  we  were 
severing  it. 

We  turned  again  to  the  fiery  lake  and  then  up 
along  its  shore,  bidding  a  sad  adieu  to  those  upon 
whom  we  looked. 

"What  now?"  whispered  Benjamin,  giving  me 
a  sudden  pull  by  the  arm. 

"What!  what!"  said  I. 

"Brave  Trailer  is  in  trouble." 

Fortunately  for  us,  the  noble  dog  had  just  dis 
covered  a  small  spring  of  water  colder  than  artesian 
and  as  pure  as  a  flowing  brooklet. 

How  our  voices  in  that  moment  responded  to  tha 
joy  pulsating  in  our  hearts.  Not  only  did  it  satisfy 
a  great  thirst,  but  it  as  well  determined  whether 
these  people  drank.  They  evidently  did  drink  from 
the  spring.  Why  it  had  been  necessary  for  them  to 
build  the  stairway  down  the  mountain  side  for  a  half 
mile  to  the  spring  there,  is  left  for  the  reader  to  say. 


162  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

Not  very  far  along  the  immediate  lake  shore  we 
came  up  against  a  stone  square,  house  shape.  The 
same  Tauquitz  Legend !  This  stone  house  was  likely 
patterned  after  the  one  Tauquitz,  the  evil  spirit, 
called  his  prison  cell.  "But  it  is  only  conjecture," 
said  Benjamin,  laying  his  hand  against  the  corner, 
4*though  it  is  surely  hand-made,  there  being  little 
sign  of  nature's  handiwork  in  it.  Centuries  in  build 
ing,  I'll  warrant.'' 

Midway  along  a  darkened  side  of  this  stone 
square  we  saw,  upon  copper  hinges,  a  stone  door 
standing  ajar.  Once  inside  this  little  room  we 
found  it  about  nine  feet  wide  and  approximately  ten 
long,  with  an  exceedingly  low  ceiling.  On  the 
opposite  side  a  passageway  led  down  into  some  lower 
depths.  Here,  still  leaning  against  the  wall,  were 
two  skeleton  forms.  They  were  two  sentinels, 
for  this  is  what  we  were  soon  calling  them,  be 
lieving  they  were  there  guarding  a  secret  room 
below.  Had  we  not  been  over-indulgent,  we  might 
have  easily  bidden  adieu  to  these  unknown  depths, 
but  we  could  not  pass  them  by.  Our  curiosity  was 
aroused,  and  we  were  determined  to  please  ourselves. 
In  tightly  clinched  bony  fingers  these  sentinels  still 
retained  their  spear-shaped  weapons.  Benjamin 
thoughtlessly  laid  hold  of  one  of  the  weapons,  and  all 
save  a  copper  spear  crumbled  to  dust. 

"Holmes  says,"  I  began,   "that  both  Greek  and 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  153 

Trojans  knew  the  art  of  tempering  copper  so  as  to 
make  edged  tools.  This  was  about  1000  B.  C.  So, 
Benjamin,  have  these  skeletons  held  silent  guard  here 
for  forty  centuries  ;  and  do  they  withhold  from  us  the 
one  process  for  the  hardening  of  copper?" 

"Greeks  and  Trojans  may  have  tempered  the 
copper  for  them,"  he  replied  with  a  laugh. 

Quietly,  in  the  sombre  depths  of  the  darkness, 
guided  only  by  the  flickerings  of  a  single  candle, 
we  stole  down  through  the  little  passageway. 
Once  within  a  secret  closet  below,  we  came 
upon  great  piles  of  raw  copper,  while  hanging  against 
the  walls  were  many  curious  looking  copper  tools. 
Instantly  we  felt  we  had  surely  discerned  the  secret 
that  afforded  the  skilled  worker  the  tools  with  which 
to  master  the  hard  granite  of  the  mountain. 

"Wonderful  work  has  been  done  with  tools 
invented  and  made  in  this  closet,"  Benjamin  whis 
pered. 

I  could  not  refrain  from  sarcastically  replying, 
"Yes,  hideous  looking  gods  as  well." 

It  was  there  in  one  corner  of  this  secret  closet, 
and  just  before  an  immense  pile  of  native  copper  ore, 
that  we  probed  into  the  depths  of  mysterious  pro 
cesses.  For  moments  it  seemed  we  should  not  be 
able  to  understand  what  were  the  processes  wrought 
out  in  four  telescoped  crucibles.  The  largest  crucible 
of  the  four  had  evidently  been  drilled  directly  into 


164  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

the  corner  of  the  room  and  served  the  purpose  of 
shielding  the  three  smaller  ones,  tapering  down  with 
in  it  until  the  smallest  would  hold  about  one  gallon, 
liquid  measure. 

In  between  these  crucibles  was  a  crystallized 
composition,  greenish  in  color.  To  look  long  upon 
its  brightness  brought  tears  into  our  eyes.  The  only 
thing  for  us  to  do  was  to  extricate  the  first  covering, 
which  we  did,  exposing  a  darker  green,  evidently  the 
alloy  given  off  by  native  copper  while  undergoing  the 
changing  process. 

Benjamin  thoughtlessly  reached  down  into  the 
crucible,  took  up  into  his  palm  a  small  portion,  and 
in  this  way  began  testing  it  by  pulverizing  it  with  his 
thumb.  To  my  great  surprise,  and  to  his  sore  dis 
pleasure,  he  began  to  experience  great  pain,  as  though 
the  greenish  crystals  had  all  the  properties  of  a  very 
strong  acid. 

Somewhat  angered  at  his  mistake,  Benjamin 
roughly  jerked  from  off  the  wall  a  copper  pick,  and 
with  an  angry  voice  avowed  he  would  destroy  the 
crucible.  I  knew  he  meant  it,  when  I  saw  him  strike  the 
crucible  a  very  hard  blow.  But  it  was  of  little  use. 

Uprooting  the  large  crucible  and  removing  it 
from  the  corner,  we  were  given  access  to  the  inner 
three.  We  here  made  our  great  mistake.  When  we 
had  removed  the  outer  crucible,  leaving  the  three 
inner  ones  unprotected  by  it,  they  crumbled  away. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  155 

It  seemed  strange  to  know  that  crucibles  with 
standing  years  of  use  should  fall  away  in  a  moment. 
"Now  I'll  finish  it,"  said  Benjamin,  standing  near 
and  still  retaining  the  pick.  I  am  safe  in  saying  that 
he  did  so,  and  that  he  did  so  well.  Lifting  up  from 
scattered  fragments  portions  of  the  metal,  we 
lifted  also  many  of  the  granules  of  this  greenish  sub 
stance.  Here  we  had  the  secret  all  truly  confined  in 
the  shapeless  mass. 

Into  handkerchiefs  a  small  quantity  was  tightly 
tied.  This  we  should  present  for  analysis  to  some 
expert  assayer. 

"Tantalize  him,"  said  Benjamin;  from  which  I 
inferred  that  he  meant  the  composition  would  puzzle 
the  assayer. 

He  was  surely  right,  for  any  expert  able  to  name 
the  ingredients,  and  with  a  knowledge  of  using  them, 
would  become  a  master  in  the  hardening  of  copper. 
Man,  for  many,  many  years  has  sought  after  the  in 
gredients  enclosed  in  Benjamin's  handkerchief,  and 
so  the  little  sample  became  the  more  priceless. 

We  were  forced  to  go,  as  we  did  not  dare  to  stay 
longer.  Thus  we  were  driven  out,  losing  in  our  un 
timely  departure  many  rich  historical  records  likely 
awaiting  us  in  other  parts  of  this  underground  labora 
tory. 

"Let  us  hasten,  and  let  the  Indian  ferret  out  a 
better  reason  for  the  rumbling  of  his  spirits,"  said 


156  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

Benjamin,  calling  my  attention  to  the  short  length  of 
our  candle. 

"What  time  is  it?"  he  asked,  growing  anxious 
over  our  escape  ;  "my  watch  has  run  down." 

"Six-thirty,"  I  replied. 

"Not  six-thirty  p.  m.,''  he  repeated  in  astonish 
ment.  "Due  to  be  out  of  here,  then !  I'll  bet  a 
horseshoe  the  girls  have  been  at  the  mouth  of  this 
cave  a  dozen  times.  I  know  sister  Porta ;  and  then 
Miss  Wells — "  He  stopped. 

"Likely,"  I  said,  "seeing  it's  a  dead  go." 

"Dead  go  with  us,'7  Benjamin  replied,  taking 
the  words  other  than  I  meant  them. 

"Pshaw!  Benjamin,  I  know  they'll  not  worry  a 
moment ;  we're  not  likely  to  be  more  than  a  day 
overdue,  and  what  is  that?" 

"Yes,  but  they  will  worry,"  he  insisted,  with  a 
determined  shake  of  his  head.  "My  sister  has  the 
grit,  and  I  have  no  doubt  she  will  coax  Gertrude  into 
entering  this  cave  with  her." 

Time  passed  rapidly  as  Benjamin  and  I  sat  look 
ing  upon  the  lake.  Likely  our  thoughts  were  in  har 
mony,  each  upon  the  probability  of  the  girls  entering 
to  search  us  out.  What  if  thev  should  undertake  it 

m 

and  then  get  lost  within  limitless  bounds,  I  thought 
as  I  watched  the  wild  behavior  of  the  seething  lake 
of  flames. 

"We'll  hasten  back,"  I  wanted  to  sav,  half  ris- 


MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT.  157 

ing  to  my  feet.  But  how  dared  I  give  up  when  I 
knew  we  must  be  near  the  goal?  I  broke  from  my 
brief  reveries  only  to  hear  Benjamin  earnestly  ques 
tioning  himself .  "Is  it  possible,"  he  was  saying, 
"that  any  thing  serious  could  befall  the  girls  should 
they — "  Here  I  lost  his  low  words. 

Ten  minutes  later  the  whole  scene  changed.  The 
lake,  a  seeming  limitless  sheet  of  flames,  turned  into 
a  tunnel  shape  a  hundred  yards  ahead.  The  end 
came  unannounced. 

While  standing  there,  looking  deep  into  the  tun 
nel-shaped  mass  of  flames,  from  out  it  came  a  trail  of 
waves  each  splashing  the  metal  in  a  spray.  We  had 
now  surely  reached  the  very  core  of  the  mountain, 
and  knew  well  its  secrets. 

In  the  unknown  distance  this  mysterious  phe 
nomenon  had  come  in  upon  the  lake.  It  was  not  to 
us  the  Evil  Spirit  Tauquitz  riding  his  sea  horse,  but 
troubled  waves  of  sea  water  sweeping  across  the  lake 
of  metal  flames.  It  is  likely  that  its  behavior  bore 
another  significance  for  the  Saboba  Indian.  Its  on 
ward  rush  was  a  prophecy  of  the  torture  he  must  un 
dergo  for  the  sins  he  had  willfully  committed.  I  won 
dered  if  Mystica  Algooat  had  been  tossed  about  by 
these  fiery  waves,  and  if  her  soul  had  landed  safely 
on  a  solid  shore. 

"Run  back,  or  you  will  be  washed  in  the  lake," 
cried  Benjamin,  alarmed  at  the  rumbling  and  groan- 


158  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

ing  volumes  as  they  swelled  and  ebbed.     I  was  surely 
very  stupid  for  I  did  not  heed  his  cries. 

"Reckless  youth!"  and  Benjamin's  scoldings 
rained  down  upon  me  ;  still  it  seemed  I  could  not  move. 

Moments  were  passing,  and  I  was  feeling  the 
touch  of  the  liquid  metal  as  it  splashed  across  my 
body,  stinging  like  fire.  Why  I  was  not  swept 
away  I  do  not  know.  The  rushing  volumes  were  far 
away,  and  only  brought  near  by  the  brightness  of 
their  breaking. 

These  groaning  masses  passed  quite  as  quickly  as 
they  came.  The  rumblings  of  the  spirited  mountain 
peak  were  not  caused  by  earthquake  auxiliaries  or  a 
mighty  wind.  All  was  the  flowing  of  the  cold  waters 
of  the  Pacific  ocean  in  upon  this  lake  of  heated 
metal.  It  may  startle  the  Indian  to  hear  this,  and 
he  may  disbelieve  it,  but  it  stands  as  the  decision  of 
two  having  seen  and  experienced. 

The  many  colorings  dancing  and  reflecting  from 
one  water  crest  to  another  were  beyond  the  harmo 
nious  blending  of  Rosa  Bonheur,  with  her  skill  and 
wise  choice  of  colors.  Far  back  in  the  distance  we 
heard  plainly  the  splashing  of  these  same  beautiful 
waves  as  they  dashed  themselves  into  a  spray  against 
the  granite  shore.  Then,  seemingly  everywhere, 
came  the  echoing  and  re-echoing,  as  of  a  rushing 
stampede  of  cattle.  Often  the  rumblings  grew  loud 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  159 

and  died  away.  The  waves  drew  near,  passed,  van 
ishing  as  quickly  as  they  came. 

Seeing  all  this,  we  turned  backward,  graciously 
rewarded.  For  an  hour  we  followed  along  the  imme 
diate  shore  of  the  lake  without  finding  a  stairway 
leading  us  away  from  it. 

Weary  and  worn  from  the  excitement  of  the  day 
we  decided  to  take  an  hour's  rest,  and  then  make  the 
final  attempt  to  escape  from  this  cave  of  many  won 
ders. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    SEARCH    BEGUN. 

On  the  day  of  our  departure  Porta  Phillips  and 
Gertrude  Wells  came  for  the  second  time  to  look 
down  into  that  darkened  cave.  The  sun  was  just  set 
ting,  the  heavens  had  already  grown  dim,  and  the 
shadows  against  the  mountain  side  had  fast  darkened. 

"A  lonely  afternoon  passes  with  the  sun's  set 
ting,  thank  God,"  sighed  Porta,  as  she  looked  at  the 
mountain  over  which  the  sun  had  just  sunk. 

"Yes  indeed,  very  lonely,"  echoed  Gertrude. 

"Dear  me,  how  forsaken,  dark  and  dismal  this 
cave  grows  as  the  night  settles  upon  it,  Gertrude." 

"Yes  dear,  and  think  how  dark  it  is  to  Benjamin 
and  William.  Let  us  go  back  to  camp,  Porta."  No 
sooner  were  the  words  spoken  than  Porta  was  off, 
leading  the  way. 

"Here,  here,  fretting  so  soon,"  teased  Mr. 
Wells,  striving  to  cheer  the  young  ladies. 

"Yes,  Henry,  haven't  the  girls  the  privilege  of 
fretting?"  interrupted  Mrs.  Wells. 

"Limited  privileges,"    Mr.    Wells  quickly   re- 


MYSTICA   ALGOOAT.  161 

sponded,  adding  before  his  wife  could  catch  him  up, 
"Come,  cheer  up  girls,  cheer  up.  I  can  only  think 
the  boys  safe." 

"There  it  is  again,  Henry;  you  might  think  a 
chicken  happy  when  afflicted  with  the  croup." 

"Women  take  a  pessimistic  view  of  everything. " 

"Yes,  anything  suits  men,"  said  Mrs.  Wells, 
quite  disgusted,  as  she  called  Porta  and  Gertrude  in 
to  the  tent. 

The  dawning  of  another  day  saw  all  signs  of  the 
storm  rapidly  disappearing.  The  water  was  running 
down  the  mountain  side  in  gushing  little  streams. 

The  cold,  wet  canvas  tents,  so  long  under  the 
gloomy  ledge, were  taken  down  and  set  up  in  the  open, 
in  the  bright  sunshine.  The  change  was  very  marked, 
for  it  brightened  the  spirits  of  the  party. 

The  birds,  that  had  been  absent  for  several  days, 
were  now  flying  up  from  the  valleys  to  sing  anew  the 
glory  and  the  beauty  of  the  mountain  side.  The  vel 
vet  mosses,  shining  with  freshest  lustre,  were  such  as 
would  make  one  think  only  of  the  jagged  ledges  upon 
which  they  clung,  wearing  dressy  suits  of  variegated 
hues. 

Mid-afternoon  breathing  in  upon  the  little  party 
found  it  slowly  ascending  the  mountain  side.  The 
members  of  it  were  climbing  up  to  the  mysterious 
cave,  there  to  watch  for  us.  Not  an  hour  passed  as 


162  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

they  waited,  without  the  inquiry,  "Aren't  the  boys 
tardy?" 

"Nonsense  !"  would  speak  up  some  one,  gener 
ally  Mr.  Wells,  who  usually  concluded  with  some 
expression  like  this,  "A  six  o'clock  train  will  not 
arrive  before  six  o  clock.  Tuesday  never  gets  in 
ahead  of  Monday.  Logical,  isn't  it?"  looking  rather 
wise. 

"Not  always,"  replied  Gertrude,  nodding  nega 
tively. 

With  all  these  and  many  other  questionings  the 
afternoon  slowly  tolled  itself  away.  We  had  disap 
pointed  those  watching  by  not  coming  forth  from  the 
cave.  Still  for  a  few  moments  more,  and  up  to  the 
hour  when  the  shades  of  night  were  darkening  the 
mountain  side,  they  watched  and  listened.  It  was 
hard  for  them  to  think  of  giving  up.  The  night  was 
growing  chilly,  and  Mr.  Wells,  fearing  an  attack  of 
the  rheumatism  hastened  back  to  the  camp.  "Don't 
stay  too  late,"  he  cautioned,  "one  cannot  trust  even 
the  cowardly  coyotes.  Better  give  up  girls,  for  the 
boys  will  not  be  out  of  the  cave  before  tomorrow 
night,  and  I'll  set  the  hour  at  sundown,  considering 
you  have  figured  just  twenty-four  hours  too  soon." 

"Hush  Henry  !  you  do  like  to  tease,"  Mrs.  Wells 
scolded. 

The  two  young  ladies  waited  until  it  grew  dark, 
and  only  when  they  saw  plainly  that  they  must  give 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  163 

up  the  watch,  did  they  go  to  the  camp.  They  had 
planned  a  secret  which  was  to  be  unfolded  early  the 
next  morning. 

"We've  planned  to  go  into  the  cave  and  meet 
the  boys,  mother,"  said  Gertrude  at  breakfast. 

"Planning  to  capture  big  game,"  ejaculated  her 
father. 

"We've  as  much  grit  as  some  of  you  faint 
hearted  men,"  declared  Porta  Phillips  firmly. 

Mr.  Wells  began  heartily  laughing.  "You've 
less  grit  than  one  needs  to  have  while  carrying  out 
such  an  undertaking;  then,  too,  I'd  venture  the 
same  old  forty- one  cents  that  I've  been  betting  away 
for  years,  that  the  cave  is  brimful  of  lizards,  toads 
and  even  snakes." 

"Hush  now,  Henry,"  said  Mrs.  Wells. 

"A  husband  is  abused,  stoned  and  dragged  to 
death,"  murmured  Mr.  Wells,  changing  his  seat  away 
from  his  wife.  "Wife  here,  simply  favors  an  under 
taking  which  in  my  mind  cannot  end  otherwise  than 
in  disaster.  Foolish,  giddy  girls  anyway,  go  if  you 
will.  I'll  bet  the  same  old  forty-one  cents  against  a 
pair  of  Sunday  suspenders  that  before  many  hours  my 
wife  will  be  entering  that  cave  to  search  for  you 
girls." 

"Yes,  quite  possible,  Mr.  Wells,  but  there  will 
be  little  danger  of  your  coming  in  search  for  me." 

"Not  in  the  least,   wife."    As   to   whether   Mr. 


164  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

Wells  meant  this  as  he  said  it,  no  one  seemed  to 
know. 

By  sunrise  the  next  morning  things  about  camp 
had  taken  on  a  decided  air  for  business.  All  was 
contrary  to  Mr.  Wells'  wishes.  The  two  young  ladies 
greatly  helped  by  Mrs.  Wells'  encouraging  words, 
were  making  all  preparations  for  the  undertaking. 
The  moment  for  the  start  up  the  mountain  came  soon. 
Mr.  Wells  still  held  out  against  the  scheme,  denounc 
ing  it  in  many  ways.  "Go  and  be  contrary,"  he  said 
in  his  farewell  words.  Turning  to  his  wife,  he  added, 
"If  this  turns  out  disastrously,  remember  you,  my 
wife,  share  alone  the  responsibility.  A  man  is  a  fool 
to  let  a  woman  run  his  end  of  the  business.  Al 
mighty  God,  from  this  time  henceforth  I  shall  be  the 
master  of  my  household.  A  wife  like  mine  would 
run  even  a  fishing  smack  on  the  rocks,  fog  or  no  fog, 
— just  run  it  there."  Mr.  Wells  walked  nervously 
away  toward  the  spring.  He  would  go  there  to  worry 
further  over  the  probability  of  Porta  and  Gertrude 
getting  lost.  "WTomen  folks  have  little  business  in 
politics,  in  business,  in  law,  or  in  anything  else  that 
means  life  or  death." 

All  the  while  Mr.  Wells  was  sitting  there  abus 
ing  his  conscience  with  his  own  words,  the  three  wo 
men  were  climbing  the  mountain  side  to  the  cave. 
And  likely  at  a  time  when  Mr.  Wells  prayed  for  the 
strength  of  a  master,  three  as  humble  as  he,  just  be- 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  165 

fore  the  cave,  were  praying  for  a  success  in  the 
rescue. 

The  parting  came,  Porta  and  Gertrude  slowly 
and  cautiously  going  down  into  the  sombre  depths, 
and  Mrs.  Wells  turning  back  toward  the  little  camp. 

Once  out  of  sight,  Mrs.  Wells  realized  what  the 
presence  of  Gertrude  and  Porta  had  been  to  her.  For 
a  moment  she  hesitated,  stopping  on  the  open  moun 
tain  side  to  study  her  hasty  actions.  "I  have  been 
stubborn  and  have  treated  Henry  wrongly,"  Mrs. 
Wells  acknowledged  to  herself.  "Yes,  for  all  I  know 
I  may  be  sending  my  own  dear  child  and  Porta  Phil 
lips  down  to  their  graves.  A  stubborn  will  and  a 
broken-hearted  husband  ;''  and  Mrs.  Wells  sat  down 
upon  a  near-by  rock  to  cry. 

Porta  and  Gertrude  had  only  two  candles  to  light 
them  on  their  way.  One  making  the  cave  walls 
ghostly,  the  second  was  lit. 

Often  as  they  followed  the  winding  stairway 
they  stopped  to  catch  a  breath,  one  to  send  out  a  call, 
hoping  it  would  bring  back  an  answer,  but  none  came. 
After  a  few  moments'  rest  on  a  broad  landing,  they 
slowly  continued.  Soon  the  single  stairway  branched, 
one  fork  leading  upward  to  the  right,  and  the  other 
downward  to  the  left.  It  was  not  until  now,  stand 
ing  there  in  the  dim  light  of  the  two  candles,  looking 
down  upon  this  branching  stairway,  that  they  realized 
the  first  fear  of  becoming  lost. 


166  MYSTIC  A  ALGOOAT. 

"You  follow  out  one  branch  and  I  the  other," 
said  Gertrude,  breaking  a  long  silence. 

"No,  no,  we  must  not  part,  or  we'll  be  sure  to 
get  lost." 

"Downward  and  to  the  left  let  us  go  first,"  said 
Porta,  leading  the  way.  "It  is  very,  very  steep. 
Hadn't  we  better  call  once  more?"  So  Gertrude 
called,  only  to  a\vaken  echoes,  and  re-echoes.  "We 
must  be  in  a  tomb,"  she  went  on  ;  "the  boys  have 
surely  perished." 

Here  a  sense  of  timidity  overpowered  the  once 
strong  courage,  and  together  they  started  backward 
and  upward.  As  far  up  as  where  the  stairway 
branched  they  hastened  without  pausing  for  a  second 
time  to  question  one  another. 

"We  are  going  out,  leaving  the  boys  to  die." 
And  Porta  Phillips  then  and  there  said  she  would  not 
go  a  step  further  up  the  stairway. 

They  were  soon  following  the  branch  of  the  stair 
way  that  led  upward,  into  a  small  room.  It  was 
here,  against  a  wall,  that  a  dimly  flickering  light 
shone  through,  greatly  frightening  them.  In  a 
moment  each  stopped  as  if  fearful  of  what  she  might 
behold.  It  was  several  minutes  before  either  dare  tip 
toe  across  the  little  room  to  peer  through  this  little 
lighted  passage  in  the  distance.  When  they  did  they 
looked  upon  an  endless  lake  of  fire.  Flames  upon 
flames,  as  waves  upon  the  sea,  were  swelling  and 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  167 

breaking.  Spray  was  ascending  over  the  lake  and 
displaying  its  hundred  colorings. 

"Oh,  how  beautiful!''  whispered  one. 

"Inexpressible,"  whispered  back  the  other. 

"See,"  and  Gertrude  drew  her  companion 
nearer  her, — "see,  dear,  the  mighty  waves  are  rolling 
toward  us,  and  oh,  how  strange  they  are  as  they  toss 
themselves  and  groan  as  if  suffering  great  agony." 

Amazed  at  all  they  saw,  they  continued  watch 
ing  each  swell  upon  the  lake,  and  then  when  the 
waves  broke  against  the  shore  and  the  spray  shot  up 
ward,  they  cried,  "How  beautiful!" 

For  many  a  moment  they  waited  ;  speech  became 
inaudible.  At  last  they  saw  two  dim  forms  walking 
erect,  and  one  upon  its  fours,  pass  slowly  before  them 
along  the  immediate  lake  shore. 

"It's  my  brother  Benjamin,  and  William,"  said 
Porta  as  the  joyous  tears  coursed  down  her  cheek. 
With  another  hasty  glance  they  were  watching  the 
slowly  moving  figures  passing  off  around  the  lake. 

"Oh,  do  call  them  back,  Gertrude  ;  my  voice  is 
so  weak;  do  call !"  Gertrude  called,  but  her  voice, 
like  that  of  her  companion,  was  weak,  and  then,  too, 
it  seemed  only  to  spend  itself  within  the  little  room. 

For  an  instant  the  three  figures  paused  as  if  to 
listen,  but  it  could  not  have  been  so.  One  figure 
motioned  as  if  to  throw  something  into  the  lake,  and 
then  the  three  passed  on.  Gertrude,  as  frightened 


168  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

and  as  alarmed  as  Porta,  called  yet  another  time, 
and  again  a  moment  later,  with  hope  fast  ebbing. 
And  when  Porta  awoke  to  call  for  her  first  time,  the 
angry  waves  upon  the  lake  smothered  her  voice. 
"They  are  gone,"  she  whispered  with  a  gasp. 

A  half  hour  passed  as  they  watched  the  lake, 
wondering  if  the  figures  would  not  soon  pass  back 
along  its  shore.  But  they  did  not,  and  first  one,  then 
the  other,  began  weeping. 

They  hastened  back  to  the  branching  stairway 
determined  to  go  down,  down,  deeper  into  the 
unknown.  All  was  promising,  until  the  junction  of 
seven  stairways  lit  up  within  the  candle's  rays. 

"We  may  not  overtake  the  boys  very  soon," 
admitted  Gertrude  soberly,  having  first  counted  the 
seven  branching  passages. 

"Never  mind,  we  must  attempt  it,"  and  Porta 
started  along  the  fourth  stairway,  which  led  down 
ward  to  the  right. 

"What !  what ! "  she  soon  cried  with  fright,  as  she 
threw  herself  back  against  Gertrude.  "A  vast  sub- 
mountain  cavern  opens  before  me,''  she  whispered. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Gertrude,  surprised. 

"I  mean  that  before  us  is  the  unknown.  What 
an  underground  empire,  enveloped  by  the  closest 
secrecy ! ' '  Just  then  Gertrude  caught  her  first 
glimpse  of  the  interior  of  the  cavern  they  were  enter 
ing.  "Yes,  brother  Benjamin  always  says  dead  men 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  169 

tell  no  tales ;  neither  do  dead  Indians." 

"Unbearable,"  cried  the  other,  turning  back. 
Poised,  with  stolid  glares,  were  many  grinning 
skeletons. 

"Oh  God  !  does  it  mean  that  they  were  born  only 
to  hold  intact  this  silent  dominion,  or  to  prey  upon 
us?"  and  each  gave  utterance  to  a  short  prayer. 

"All  is  unbearable!  unbearable!"  and  Porta 
and  Gertrude  turned  to  flee,  but  not  far,  for  by  them 
were  many  beautiful  sea  shells  artistically  arranged 
along  the  wall. 

"I'll  answer  this  voluntarily,"  said  Porta,  wholly 
forgetting  the  skeletons.  "Scientists  say,  as  I  am 
told,  that  the  Colorado  Desert  is  but  an  old  ocean, 
bed." 

"Yes,  but  how  do  they  know  this?"  interrupted 
Gertrude. 

"By  a  study  of  the  shells  they  have  gathered  up 
on  the  dry  sands." 

"But  what  has  the  ocean  to  do  with  these  peo 
ple?" 

"Understand,  dear,  they  likely  hunted  and  fish 
ed  upon  it.  From  the  ocean  they  have  gathered 
these  shells." 

"What  has  scientific  study  to  do  with  hailing 
the  boys?"  seriously  argued  Gertrude,  wishing  for 
something  better  than  a  race  of  men  to  think  about. 

"Nothing  whatever,  yet  we  stand  here  and  look 


:~ 


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172  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"How  ancient  we  might  be,"  suggested  Ger 
trude  ;  to  which  her  companion  replied,  "I  trust  not 
so  ancient  as  proud.  Well,  we  are  not  stealing  gold 
from  King  Solomon's  mines,  anyway." 

"Yes,  dear,  but  are  we  not  taking  treasures  from 
a  dead  people?  Let  us  replace  them,"  said  Porta  lay 
ing  it  back. 

"No  let's  not." 

Thus  they  argued,  finally  going  from  the  cave, 
carrying  the  box  with  them. 

A  little  way  along  the  stairway,  they  stopped  to 
look  once  more  upon  the  little  treasures.  It  was  not 
until  here  that  it  dawned  upon  them  that  their  pro 
ducts  were  likely  the  fruits  of  an  underground  dia 
mond  field. 

Overjoyed  at  the  find,  and  fearing  someone 
might  rob  them  of  the  treasures,  they  turned  about 
and  started  rapidly  up  along  the  stairway.  They 
would  first  carry  the  treasures  out  of  the  cave,  and 
then  come  back  again  to  meet  the  boys. 

In    a   moment  of  excitement,  while  they  were 
hastening  upward,  the  little  box  slipped  from   the 
girl's  grasp,  falling  upon  the  stone  surface  and  break 
ing  into  many  little  pieces. 

"The  frail  thing,"  scolded  Porta  as  if  to  shift 
at  least  a  small  portion  of  the  responsibility. 

"A  frailer  thing,  dear,  I  fear,  is  the  finding  of 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  173 

all  the  little  treasures.  See,  they  sparkle  so  brilliant 
ly.  Genuine,  I  guess." 

Porta  and  Gertrude  stopped  to  gather  them  into 
a  handkerchief. 

The  time  it  took  to  gather  up  the  little  gems 
told  very  markedly  upon  the  fast  burning  candles, 
there  being  less  than  four  inches  of  unburned  wax 
left. 

"A  dreadful  fear  comes  over  me,"  said  Porta, 
soberly. 

"Why  now,  dear, "were  the  soothing  words  of 
her  companion. 

"The  candles,  see,  they  give  us  less  than  an  hour 
to  make  good  our  escape." 

"I  hadn't  noticed  the  shortness  of  the  candles," 
said  Gertrude,  as  she  gripped  up  the  little  bit  of  wax 
and  started  up  along  the  stairway. 

The  mad  rush  made  their  breath  come  fast,  and 
the  heart  spurt  as  if  to  leap  from  its  bounds.  They 
paused  for  a  short  rest  and  then  hastened  upward.  A 
glance  to  either  side  told  them  that  they  were  pass 
ing  through  many  underground  museums. 

"What  a  heavy  draft  courses  past  me,"  exclaim 
ed  one,  stopping  to  learn  from  whence  it  came  and 
where  it  was  going. 

"Oh,  my  God,  does  this  mean  Thy  rescuing 
hand,"  Gertrude  prayed. 

Greatly  encouraged,  they  followed  its   upward 


174  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

coursing.  "It  is  true,"  exclaimed  Gertrude,  clasp 
ing  her  hands  over  her  forehead  and  sobbing  faintly. 
"The  comforting  current  of  air  must  lead  downward 
and  backward.  It  does,  and  we're  sure  to  die,"  she 
gasped,  tnrning  to  see  if  Porta  had  all  the  while  run 
after  her. 

"Do  you  mean  it,  dear?"  cried  her  companion, 
as  weak  and  as  fully  discouraged  as  she. 

"Yes,  we're  to  die  in  this  tomb." 

"Oh,  Gertrude  dear,  I  see  a  light."  Porta  poin 
ted  out  a  dimly  burning  light  back  upon  the 
stairway  over  which  they  had  just  passed. 

"Oh,  thank  God,  it  is  dear  Mrs.  Wells," 
Porta  cried  aloud.  The  certainty  of  Mrs.  Wells 'pres 
ence  drove  away  all  thoughts  of  dying  where  she  had 
fallen.  "Oh  I'm  so  glad,  for  see,  she  comes  nearer 
and  nearer."  Just  as  she  uttered  these  encouraging 
words  the  little  light  she  had  seen  flickered  wildly, 
died  out,  then  flashed  up,  flickered  again  and  in  a 
moment  died  out  entirely. 

Frightened  in  the  sudden  darkness  Porta  called 
to  Gertrude  to  extinguish  quickly  the  little  light  so 
dear  to  them. 

"Bandits  have  discovered  us,  dear,  and  are  pre 
paring  as  Indians  to  crawl  up  nearer." 

"No,  no,  don't  say  it,  dear.  Dear  me,  dear  me," 
and  each  lay  back  and  began  crying  most  bitterly. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  175 

The  very  darkness  about  was  adding  to  the  horrors  of 
that  trying  moment. 

"God,  do  save  us,"  Porta  was  crying,  wringing 
her  hands  as  if  she  experienced  great  pain  from  with 
in.  In  another  moment  these  horrors  were  even  in 
creased  by  the  deafening  growl  of  some  beast. 

"Here,  Brave  Trailer,  be  quiet,"  said  a  voice 
in  good  English. 

"Light  up  ahead,  you  cowards, ' '  called  the  voice, 
"or  we'll  turn  loose  upon  you." 

"We'd  better  light  the  candle."    "No,  no." 

Thus  Porta  and  Gertrude  argued. 

"Light  up,  we're  here  for  blood.  Light  up  ;  all 
ghosts  belong  to  us." 

"Here,  here,  Benjamin!"  said  Porta,  as  she  re 
cognized  the  voice. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE     FINAL    STRUGGLE. 

We  had  slept,  as  near  as  I  could  tell,  about  six 
hours.  Our  awakening  called  to  mind  the  lake  of 
fire.  We  were  soon  leaving  it  behind,  taking  with 
us  a  few  relics  and  an  empty  canteen.  Why  we  were 
carrying  this  canteen,  we  did  not  fully  know.  We 
had  clung  to  it  and  were  prizing  it  as  though  it  were 
our  only  friend.  We  were  now  ready  to  go,  and  had 
cast  a  single  die,  determining  by  it  our  chances  of  es 
caping.  The  chances  were  there  but  they  were  very 
few,  while  the  ominous  numbers  presaging  death  were 
many.  No  food,  no  water,  in  a  little  while  no  light ! 

For  a  moment  I  tried  to  break  away  from  the 
thought  of  death  by  whistling  some  inspiring  tune, 
but  I  could  not  whistle,  for  my  heart  was  not  tuned 
to  music.  I  tried  to  speak  instead  but  even  the 
words  died  in  my  throat. 

The  long  silent  stupor  through  which  I  had  been 
musing  aroused  Benjamin's  curiosity,  and  he  asked 
if  I  didn't  think  it  about  time  we  were  testing  half- 
fed  muscles.  "Yes,"  I  said,  still  continuing  my 
musing.  I  was  surely  being  tortured  in  thought  by 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  177 

those  I  had  seen  lying  along  the  lake  shore  in  their 
open  graves.  In  these  moments  I  saw  in  my  imagi 
nation  the  framework  once  animated,  and  giving  sta 
bility  to  a  Chief,  a  Judge,  a  Goddess  of  Sunset,  or  an 
heir  to  all  the  tribe's  riches  in  sheep.  And  then,  as 
in  thought  I  gleaned  the  Tauquitz  Legend,  I  was  con 
vinced  that  Silveric  Sinon  had  an  unquestioned  love 
for  Mystica  Algooat  even  at  the  time  when  the  trials 
of  Indian  Court  were  casting  him  down. 

"Come,  what  do  you  mean  by  delay?"  said  Ben 
jamin,  as  he  caught  me  by  the  sleeve.  I  followed, 
he  leading  the  way,  along  the  lake  shore.  On  one 
side  were  the  shadowy  walls  we  had  seen  the  day  be 
fore,  while  on  the  other  were  the  sparkling  beauties 
of  the  phosphorescent  lake. 

"What  is  the  hour?"  asked  Benjamin,  adding  in 
a  much  lower  tone,  "My  watch  continues  to  find  the 
pressure  too  low  in  here  for  it."  I  opened  mine,  and 
paused,  alarmed  ;  I  looked  upon  the  dial  for  moments, 
the  hour  so  startling  me  that  I  had  failed  to  speak. 
Greatly  disheartened  by  the  lateness,  I  felt  like  hurl 
ing  my  watch  into  the  lake.  I  paused,  however, 
wondering  if  I  had  read  the  hour  aright.  I  believed 
I  had,  and  I  acted  hastily.  The  watch,  although  a 
father's  gift,  I  threw  far  into  the  lake. 

"Foolish,"  scolded  Benjamin,  adding,  "Why  do 
you  destroy  a  keepsake?" 

"Simply  because  it  has  become  a  burden." 


178  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"Why  so?"  he  asked  quickly. 

"If  time  doesn't  lie,  Benjamin,  we're  lost.  We 
have  been  traveling  along  this  lakeshore  for  hours." 

"I  trust  not,"  he  coolly  replied,  asking  that  we 
hasten. 

In  a  little  while  we  came  to  a  place  where  the 
shore  line  recurved,  going  back  ward.  This  we  knew 
would  only  lead  us  deeper  into  the  unexplored.  "Go 
back,"  said  Benjamin,  to  which  I  replied,  "No  sir, 
we  had  far  better  plunge  into  the  unknown  and  un- 
traversed  regions ;  there,  that  little  place  yonder 
seems  inviting. "  I  had  no  sooner  said  the  word  than 
Benjamin  started,  entering  the  passage  I  had  pointed 
out.  The  precious  candle  light  bore  a  single  ray  of 
hope  as  we  followed  through  the  quiet  passageway. 

"Ah,  feel  that,"  said  Benjamin,  as  he  held  his 
hands  well  before  the  candle. 

"What,  a  draft  of  air?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,  and  so  strong  as  to  make  the  candle  flicker 
wildly,  almost  enough  to  fan  it  out,"  he  added. 

The  draft,  although  a  very  strong  one,  was  en 
couraging,  and  I,  remembering  Brave  Trailer,  gave 
him  a  heavy  patting,  as  though  I  thought  he  should 
have  the  praise  for  it. 

Once  far  back  in  the  darkened  passageway,  a 
yearning  for  the  beauties  of  the  lake  came  over  me. 
The  light  had  been  so  cherishing,  and  the  life  within 
it  had  all  the  while  suggested  the  very  presence  of 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  179 

friends.  We  were  now  sorely  tempted  to  go  back  to 
it  but  each  spurned  the  temptation,  for  we  well  knew 
going  back  would  be  going  back  to  die. 

At  times  we  were  recklessly  pushing  upward, 
Brave  Trailer  voluntarily  leading  the  way,  and  then 
at  other  times  we  were  following  him  more  cau 
tiously. 

"What !"  exclaimed  Benjamin,  stopping  short. 
"Brave  Trailer  meets  with  some  hindrance."  I  saw 
Benjamin  lift  high  the  candle,  so  as  to  throw  its  rays 
well  before  him. 

"Skeleton  forms,  I  presume,"  I  whispered,  little 
thinking  of  the  force  of  the  expression  when  I  said  it. 

"I  fear  not,"  said  Benjamin,  all  the  while  slow 
ly  drawing  close  upon  the  whining  dog.  "Oh,  you 
foolish  fellow,"  he  scolded,  for  when  we  came  upon 
him  he  stood  mounted  upon  a  square  block  of  stone 
less  than  twenty  inches  in  height. 

After  all,  "skeleton  forms"  was  the  befitting 
title,  for  just  before  us,  almost  under  our  feet,  lay 
several  shrunken  corpses.  "Some  more  of  your  leg 
end  characters,"  remarked  Benjamin,  in  a  way  that 
made  me  feel  he  believed  the  Tauquitz  Legend  alto 
gether  false.  I  knew  it  was  not,  having  seen  so 
much.  Dear  to  me  had  become  the  Legend,  and 
while  I  again  studied  it  over  I  believed  its  characters 
had  surely  lived,  performing  the  functions  Benefa- 
cio  Oabse  had  told  me  they  did. 


180  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"Eight  skeleton  forms,"  announced  Benjamin, 
startling  me  from  my  study. 

"Indeed,  Benjamin,"  and  when  I  looked  down 
upon  them  the  thought  came  to  me  that  we  had 
surely  found  the  connecting  link. 

"What  next?"  he  asked  abruptly. 

"Everything  goes  to  prove  these  people  ate  from 
this  block  of  stone." 

But  Benjamin  was  stubborn  and  opposed  my 
theory,  putting  up  in  defense  this  question  :  "Why 
not  have  these  people  playing  games?" 

"Possibly  they  were,"  I  admitted,  "but  can 
you  account  for  this  vessel?"  I  pointed  out  a  curious 
utensil  upon  the  block  of  stone. 

"I'll  retract,"  he  said,  lifting  up  the  vessel,  ap 
parently  made  from  a  large  tusk  of  the  mastodon  or 
mammoth. 

Our  curiosity  once  wrought  up,  we  had  forgotten 
our  desire  to  escape.  Here  were  evidences  which  of 
themselves  answered  the  question  so  long  puzzling 
the  searchers  in  the  remote  past.  Benjamin  asked 
me,  and  I  answered  to  the  Indian  :  "Is  food  a  necessity 
in  the  future  world?  It  is,  if  this  be  the  Indian  fu 
ture  kingdom." 

Strewn  about  upon  the  flat  stone  surface  were 
charred  berries,  probably  some  close  ally  to  the  corn 
or  pea.  Aside  from  these  berries,  small  white  chalk 
lines  told  us  of  the  fish  bones,  the  residue  of  the  peo- 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  181 

pie's  f eastings.  This  past  man  we  were  here  study 
ing  had  surely  perfected  himself  in  his  manners  while 
eating  his  food.  From  all  the  evidence  he  ate  only 
with  fine  pincers,  tong-shaped  and  not  larger  than 
hair  pincers. 

The  time  wasted  counted  upon  our  candle's 
length,  and  this  frightened  us.  We  almost  ran  after 
Brave  Trailer,  who  when  we  said  "go,"  led  us.  Twice 
to  my  knowledge  we  passed  through  little  rooms 
filled  with  many  secrets  yet  unsifted,  but  the  fate  of 
one  lost  in  the  wilderness  spurred  us  forward  and  we 
ran  on  and  on. 

"Too  bad  to  pass  them,"  I  murmured  to  myself 
as  I  hastened  after  Benjamin. 

"Leave  all  gleaning  until  another  time,"  he  said 
abruptly,  turning  about  to  see  if  I  were  closely 
following. 

After  a  time  we  paused  for  breath.  Directly 
before  us,  leaning  against  a  granite  wall,  were  many, 
many  strange  implements.  They  were  modern,  as  a 
single  glance  told,  and  had  likely  been  used  for  the 
tilling  of  soil.  Our  verdict  was  that  these  people  in 
their  day  tilled  the  soil,  planted  and  raised  much  of 
the  food  upon  which  they  existed.  Surely  they  must 
have  raised  the  pea  or  bean  upon  the  one  little  gar 
den  spot  where  we  had  first  set  our  tents.  But  we 
were  now  thinking  too  seriously  of  our  rapidly  burn 
ing  candle,  and  so  we  pushed  upward,  leaving  in  the 


182  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

darkness  secrets  deserving  prolonged  study. 

After  a  half  hour  of  furious  rushing  Benjamin 
fell  exhausted,  muttering  as  he  sought  to  rise  again, 
"Goon;  keep  pressing  upward. "  In  a  flash  I  real 
ized  what  this  all  meant.  He  had  fully  given  up  all 
expectations  of  escaping  an  early  death  in  the  cave. 
I  knew  well  the  hours  of  constant  worry  had  greatly 
weakened  his  frail  system,  and  that  his  rushing  from 
the  lake  upward  so  far  was  his  final  struggle. 

**I  cannot  go,  Benjamin,"  I  said  soberly,  large 
tears  running  down  my  face  and  falling  upon  his 
prostrate  body.  "I  cannot,  no  I  cannot,  Benjamin," 
and  I  rubbed  his  forehead  tenderly  as  if  to  cheer  him. 
I  had  not  yet  lost  all  hope.  I  patiently  waited,  lis 
tening  all  the  while  to  the  silent  voice  of  the  tomb. 
But  the  wear  of  those  silent  moments  upon  my  mind 
was  telling,  and  I  knew  I  must  soon  see  an  escape  or 
die  there  with  Benjamin.  The  task  of  retracing  our 
wandering  steps  I  knew  was  by  far  too  great,  and  I 
would  not  consider  it. 

"Oh,  glory,  glory,  glory!"  I  could  have  shouted, 
when  like  a  flash  I  conceived  a  plan  of  escape.  It  was 
so  comforting  I  quickly  told  Benjamin,  who  raised 
himself  and  cheered  me  with  the  words,  "Well  it's 
possible." 

"Come,  Brave  Trailer,  let  your  blood-hound  na 
ture  save  us."  Benjamin  heard  these  tender  words 
and  lifting  himself  up  he  petted  the  dog.  Untying 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  183 

my  shoe  and  rubbing  Brave  Trailer's  nose  with  it,  I 
said,  "Go." 

"It's  so  foolish,"  admitted  Benjamin,  half- 
laughing. 

"A  regular  trick,"  I  admitted;  still  I  knew  it 
was  the  only  thing  that  might  save  us  from  death. 

"Go,"  I  said  the  second  time,  and  then  Brave 
Trailer  abruptly  turned  about  and  ran  back  down  the 
stairway  with  Benjamin  and  I  closely  following. 

In  a  few  moments  we  knew  the  candle  would 
burn  out  and  we  would  be  left  in  utter  darkness. 
Where  we  were  to  meet  this  darkness,  and  where 
Brave  Trailer  was  leading  us,  we  had  not  yet  paused 
to  question.  And  then,  when  all  hope  seemed  gone 
Brave  Trailer  suddenly  turned  again,  this  time  to  the 
right  and  up  a  very  steep 'pitch  of  stairway.  When 
it  seemed  we  must  give  up  from  sheer  exhaustion 
this  steep  pitch  gave  way  to  a  more  level  walk,  and 
we  took  new  courage  and  pressed  on. 

The  little  fragment  of  a  candle  began  flickering 
in  its  final  gasp  for  existence.  At  length  the  little 
light  it  gave  faded,  flashed  up,  faded  out  again,  and 
then  went  out  entirely. 

Before  either  fully  realized  the  ghostliness  of  the 
darkness  we  caught  sight  of  a  dimly  burning  light 
less  than  fifty  feet  above  us.  Brave  Trailer,  as  quick 
to  see  the  light  as  we,  gave  out  a  blood- thirsty  growl, 


184  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

which  he  in  his  customary  manner  closely  followed 
up  with  a  long  deafening  bark. 

"Be  quiet,"  I  scolded. 

"Light  up  ahead,  you  cowards,"  shouted  Benja 
min,  "or  we'll  turn  loose  on  you.  Light  up;  we're 
a  hundred  strong  and  here  for  blood.  Light  up  ;  all 
ghosts  belong  to  us." 

"Here,  here,  Benjamin,  think  first  before  you 
speak  further.  Suppose  they  are  stronger  than  we, 
what  mercy  might  we  look  for?"  Benjamin  paused 
for  a  moment  to  listen,  but  no  reply  came. 

"What  can  we  expect,  anyway,"  he  asked,  "con 
sidering  we're  so  far  from  civilization?  There  is  but 
one  way  out,  and  that  is  to  misrepresent  our  strength. 
I'll  bluff  them  anyway,"  and  he  snapped  me  up  in 
the  middle  of  another  sentence.  "Light  up,  ye 
sneaking  prowlers !"  Just  as  Benjamin  uttered  this 
last  demand  a  second  light  was  seen  to  flash  up. 

"You're  getting  down  to  business,"  Benjamin 
added,  firm  and  uoquivering.  Not  a  sound  came 
back  to  combat  his  greeting.  We  waited  and  waited 
and  then  at  length  we  surged  forward  a  few  feet, 
stopping  to  survey  the  figures  outlined  about  the 
light. 

"My  God,"  I  heard  Benjamin  exclaim,  suddenly. 
Then  I  realized  that  it  was  Porta  and  Gertrude. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A   NARROW    ESCAPE. 

It  was  certainly  difficult  to  decide  which  of  us 
was  the  happiest  over  this  unexpected  meeting. 
Joyous  tears  ran  freely  down  our  cheeks,  as  we 
tenderly  spoke  to  each  other. 

At  one  time  I  cut  the  greetings  short  and  gave 
Benjamin  a  chance  to  offer  an  apology  for  his  rough 
welcome,  but  he  had  forgotten  he  owed  one.  I  would 
have  made  it  myself  but  for  the  fact  that  Porta  and 
Gertrude  were  too  excited  telling  the  trials  they  had 
been  passing  through,  to  listen.  When  another 
opportune  time  came  I  had  forgotten  it. 

When  the  joy  rising  with  this  happy  meeting 
wore  down  a  little,  questions  arose  among  them  : 
"Did  we  rescue  Porta  and  Gertrude,  or  did  they 
rescue  us?" 

"Almost  burned  away,"  said  some  one,  calling 
attention  to  the  short  length  of  the  two  candles. 
It  was  true,  for  in  less  than  one-half  hour  we  would 
be  in  utter  darkness. 

"We'd  better  be  up  and  going,"  said  Benjamin, 
taking  up  one  of  the  little  burning  candles  ;  and  with 


186  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

Brave  Trailer  leading,  we  followed  the  stairway  lead 
ing  gradually  downward. 

Gertrude  stopped  to  have  this  question  fully 
answered:  "Isn't  Benjamin  leading  us  deeper  into 
this  unknown  depth?" 

"I  hope  not,"  called  back  Benjamin,  sharp  and 
clear,  having  overheard  the  question. 

This  stairway  continued  downward  for  about 
twelve  feet,  and  then  it  took  a  sharp  turn  upward. 
At  times  the  passageway  through  which  it  led  grew 
narrow  and  the  draft  so  strong  as  to  snuff  out  the 
candles  open  to  its  broad  sweep.  We  were  now  con 
tinuing  with  but  a  single  light. 

After  a  time  this  one  candle  sputtered  for  a 
moment,  died  away,  then  flashed  up,  and  finally  went 
out  entirely.  From  here  we  tried  first  to  follow  in 
the  dsrkness,  but  it  was  so  blinding  that  we  were 
continually  in  great  danger  of  falling.  So  we  lighted 
the  last  small  piece  of  unburned  wax,  and  started  on. 
"This  means  we're  in  pretty  serious  straits,"  says 
Benjamin  soberly  and  with  a  shake  of  his  head, 
which  indicated  a  strong  meaning  back  of  the 
expression. 

Very  soon,  fortunately,  the  stairway  gave  way 
to  a  somewhat  level  surface,  over  which  we  nearly 
ran.  But  as  this  ended,  the  light  went  out.  The 
testing  time  had  surely  come.  Benjamin,  we  sup 
posed,  would  be  first  to  announce  it,  but  he  did  not, 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  187 

remaining  still  and  silent.  The  little  candle  he  still 
held  was  nickering  wildly,  and  we  saw  he  was  watch 
ing  it  as  if  it  were  a  dying  friend.  In  another 
moment  it  gave  a  sputter,  and  all  was  dark.  "Our 
chances  are  not  in  vain,  thank  God,"  I  heard  Benja 
min  whisper,  and  then  we  knew  he  must  have  seen 
something  far  more  hopeful  than  we. 

"What  is  it,  brother?"  asked  his  sister  Porta. 

"Oh  thank  God,  sister,  the  last  ray  of  the  candle 
was  cast  down  upon  the  junction  of  seven  stairways." 

Each  knew  well  the  meaning  of  the  junction  of 
seven  stairways,  and  we  offered  thanks  unto  God  for 
the  rescue.  How  comforting  to  know  we  were  less 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  cave  opening,  and 
that  that  part  of  the  stairway  leading  te  it  had  no 
steep  patches  in  it.  "Yes,  yes,"  Gertrude  whispered, 
"how  fortunate  it  is  that  we  are  on  the  stairway  lead 
ing  out." 

All  about  was  blackest  night,  and  we  were  real 
izing  anew  what  it  meant  to  be  enclosed  in  the  tomb 
of  a  long  silenced  people.  Our  minds  surely  acted 
consecutively,  for  when  Benjamin  started  leading 
upward  holding  tight  upon  Brave  Trailer's  tail,  his 
sister  Porta  grasped  him  by  the  sleeve,  and  Gertrude 
Porta 's  sleeve,  and  lastly  I,  in  due  order,  followed. 

The  few  minutes  upon  the  stairway  were  as 
minutes  of  blindness,  even  as  we  knew  it,  a  more 


188  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

confusing  blindness  than  the  blind  man  has  to  con 
tend  with. 

Oh,  how  that  struggle  upward  was  testing  each 
of  us,  and  how  our  hopes  arose  and  died  away ! 
When  hope  within  at  times  died  down  to  the  smallest 
spark,  I  was  prone  to  cry  aloud,  "Come  messenger, 
take,  after  this  career  is  over,  my  hard-earned  histor 
ical  records,  forward  them  in  all  their  imperfections 
to  accomplished  publishers,  and  for  the  sake  of  the 
life  that  bought  them,  send  home  a  copy."  And 
then,  as  the  silent  moments  told  upon  me,  "Oh  gran 
ite  walls,  fall,  crushing  life  from  this  feeble  body, 
as  I  am  willing  to  die  here,  knowing  I  have  done 
my  best." 

Just  how  the  others  of  our  struggling  party  were 
faring  I  could  not  tell.  I  knew  that  with  Porta  and 
Gertrude  it  must  have  been  very  hard.  The  journey 
upward  and  in  that  blinding  darkness  was  oh  !  so  long. 
The  end,  it  seeemed,  would  never  be  reached ;  still 
we  patiently  struggled  upward.  At  last  there  came 
the  balm.  Benjamin  began  to  cheer,  and  we  who 
followed  knew  he  must  have  seen  the  land  created 
for  man  to  live  upon. 

"Ah  how  glorious!  hallelujah!"  Porta  made 
the  silent  cave  ring  with  a  loud  cheer.  Just  above 
and  into  the  shadowy  heavens  were  hundreds  of 
twinkling  stars. 

"Thank  God,  it  is  the  same  old  canopy,"  Ger- 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  189 

trude   cried,    as   I   assisted   her  from  the   cave. 

Once  upon  the  open  mountain  side,  we  knelt  in 
a  circle,  bowing  our  heads  and  with  words  of  sober 
prayer  offering  praises  before  the  Throne  of  Grace. 

Even  then,  as  we  looked  about  us,  the  shadowy 
boulders  were  become  cave  walls,  the  crushed  limbs 
of  trees  mastodon  skeletons,  and  the  smaller  rocks 
the  skull  of  dead  Mystica  or  Diego  Sinon  her  lover. 

Day  was  fast  breaking  in  the  east,  the  hillside 
fading  to  a  gray. 

"What's  that?"  said  Benjamin,  pausing  and 
pointing  far  down  the  dim  mountain-side  to  what  ap 
peared  much  like  a  heavy  fog  in  the  valley  below. 

"Oh,  it's  surely  rained  since  we  have  been  in 
the  cave,"  exclaimed  his  sister,  having  felt  of  the 
ground  and  found  it  very  damp. 

"But  those  clouds  I  am  referring  to,"  added 
Benjamin,  answering  his  own  question.  "Yes  it  has 
rained,  and  likely  will  rain  again  before  the  coming 
day  passes." 

With  the  breaking  of  the  early  morn  we  were 
hastening  down  the  mountain  side  to  proclaim  our 
escape  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells. 

"Where  is  the  sack  containing  our  relics,  Ben 
jamin?"  I  asked  in  a  trembling  voice,  for  I  could  not 
see  it  about  his  person. 

"Right  here,  safe  and  sound,"  said  Benjamin, 
as  he  reached  up  to  lift  the  sack  from  his  shoulder. 


190  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

But  it  was  not  there,  and  he  paused  as  if  to  study. 
"William,  where,  where  have  I  left  it?  iSurely  I  have 
not  lost  it." 

"Benjamin,  surely,  for  the  sake  of  your  own 
fame  and  title,  you  have  not  lost  it!" 

"Lost,  lost,  let  me  see,"  Benjamin  paused  for 
further  study.  "Oh  someone  give  me  the  authority 
to  say  no." 

Just  then  I  saw  Benjamin  weaken.  "Tell  me 
then,  Benjamin,  where  you  left  it,  and  I  shall  go  back, 
even  to  the  lake,  sooner  than  lose  the  evidence  it  con 
tains. 

"Why,  Benjamin,  have  you  so  thoughtlessly 
robbed  history  of  an  inestimable  gem ;  forgive  me 
that  I  say  you  have,  but  I  must,  in  giving  full  ac 
count  of  the  loss." 

Oh,  how  easy  it  would  have  been  for  me  in 
those  trying  moments  to  have  flung  myself  down  into 
the  cave  to  let  Benjamin  prove  its  existence.  How 
hard  it  would  be  now  to  convince  the  world  of  the 
reality  of  the  cave  since  the  evidences  were  left  be 
hind,  still  buried  with  those  of  the  remotest  past. 

We  had  one  thing  to  comfort  us,  however.  In  a 
few  days  we  were  coming  back  to  go  deeper  into  the 
cave,  and  then  with  the  light  of  a  lantern  recover 
this  parcel. 

The  landscape  that  morning,  as  the  rising  sun  re 
flected  itself  against  the  mountains,  was  grand  ;  be- 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  191 

yond  question  it  was  as  beautiful  as  we  could  hope 
to  look  upon.  Then,  as  seen  early  in  the  morning, 
skirting  the  valley  far  below,  was  a  tossing  of  clouds, 
out  of  which  an  occasional  peal  of  thunder  rolled. 

"That  thunder  is  heavy,"  remarked  Benjamin. 
"See,  the  lightning  brightens  the  clouds  higher  up." 
Just  then  a  second  and  louder  peal  of  thunder  sound 
ed  out.  "Yes,  and  we'd  better  be  getting  out  of  here 
before  we  get  into  another  slide." 

Porta  and  Gertrude  must  first  relate  their  ex 
periences  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells.  Entering  the  tent, 
we  found  them  excitedly  reciting  their  story.  Evi 
dences  were  very  plain  that  Mrs.  Wells  had  been 
crying,  while  in  Mr.  Wells'  case  the  chances  were 
good  for  his  having  done  likewise. 

We  were  hardly  comfortably  seated,  before  Mr. 
Wells  turned  to  us,  and  without  greeting,  began  jok 
ing.  He  would  call  us  Ben  and  Bill,  the  discoverers 
of  the  north  pole.  Although  not  in  the  most  pleas 
ant  mood,  we  were  glad  afterwards  we  took  Mr. 
Wells'  joking  in  the  proper  spirit  and  managed  to 
joke  back. 

"Come,  come,  no  more  tales  are  to  be  told  to 
day,"  said  Benjamin,  "as  it  is  necessary  we  get  off 
this  mountain  before  another  storm  mixes  us  up." 

"Conditions  have  been  on  the  strike  since  yes 
terday,'^  remarked  jolly  Mr.  Wells. 

"How  so?"  I  asked. 


192  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

"Well,  my  wife  here  has  been  wishing  she  were 
in  the  cave  looking  up  the  lizards  and  toads  of  forty 
centuries  back." 

"There  is  not  a  lizard  or  a  toad  in  the  cave," 
snapped  Gertrude,  taking  the  part  of  her  mother. 

And  then,  following  Gertrude's  abrupt  answer, 
rained  in  upon  poor  Mr.  Wells  his  wife's  curt  reply, 
"I  didn't  say  I  wished  I  were  in  the  cave." 

"See,  see,"  and  Benjamin  and  I  were  called  to 
look  upon  a  dozen  or  more  brilliant  stones. 

"Oh,  the  dear  little  things,"  said  Mrs.  Wells, 
picking  up  one  the  size  of  a  grain  of  wheat.  "How 
you  shine,"  she  added,  turning  it  over. 

"It's  a  genuine  diamond,"  said  Gertrude,  fond 
ling  it. 

"Diamond  nit,  just  a  gravel  stone,"  remark 
ed  Mr.  Wells,  interrupting.  "Nothing  but  a  chine 
bug."  He  called  for  one  of  the  little  stones  that 
he  might  name  it  rightly.  "Mighty  like  diamonds, 
after  all,"  he  acknowledged,  sitting  back  and  shak 
ing  his  head  as  if  he  did  not  fully  understand  the 
nature  of  the  little  gem. 

"From  the  cave,"  ejaculated  Porta,  completely 
surprising  Benjamin  and  me,  as  we  did  not  think  it 
possible  that  we  had  found  productive  diamond  fields, 
buried  deep  in  North  American  soil. 

"We've  surely  missed  the  cream  of  all,"  said 
Benjamin,  snapping  his  fingers  in  my  face.  "We've 


MYSTIOA  ALGOOAT.  193 

been  fools  enough  to  think  of  most  everything  except 
diamonds." 

"Boys  haven't  any  use  for  diamonds  anyway," 
interrupted  Mr.  Wells. 

"Come,  come,  we  are  going  down  this  mountain, 
and  that  before  the  storm  gets  here,"  called  Benja 
min,  hastening  out  and  beginning  to  release  the  guy 
ropes.  One  secret  vow  each  was  asked  to  take  before 
leaving  this  spot,  and  this  vow  in  substance  constitu 
ted  a  promise  not  to  expose  the  presence  of  the  cave. 

It  took  some  little  time  to  break  camp,  but  soon 
we  were  away,  Benjamin  carrying  upon  his  back  the 
tent  canvas  and  a  small  roll  of  blankets,  and  I  carry 
ing  blankets  and  many  other  little  camp  articles.  As 
to  how  the  others  made  up  their  burdens  I  had  not 
noticed. 

We  were  away  none  too  soon,  for  the  misty-look 
ing  fog  was  rapidly  condensing  into  a  light  rain. 
This  became  heavier  as  we  drew  nearer  to  the  valley 
below,  driving  us  to  the  shelter  of  a  giant  oak.  The 
forepart  of  this  dreary  forenoon  the  rain  continued  to 
fall  incessantly  ;  not  drenchingly,  but  steadily  enough 
to  keep  us  under  the  sheltering  oak  tree.  Here  in 
turn,  as  we  waited,  we  told  of  the  mysterious  cave 
and  what  it  contained. 

"Rich  in  a  day,"  was  the  slow  exclamation  of 
Mr.  Wells,  as  I  told  of  the  oil  spring. 

"Ah,  millionaires  in  a  day,"   added    Gertrude, 


194  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

hopeful  of  great  wealth  to  be  found  in  the  diamond 
fields. 

Secrecy  became  the  one  watchword  of  our  little 
company  of  six,  duly  organized  for  the  further  de 
velopment  of  an  underground  property. 

The  rain,  after  all,  had  proved  a  God- send,  for 
it  had  destroyed  all  our  tracks  leading  to  the  cave. 
It  was  helping  to  keep  our  secret,  or,  as  Porta  chose 
to  call  it,  "a  secret  known  to  God  by  six,  and  one," 
this  one,  I  presume,  being  Brave  Trailer,  our  prince 
ly  bloodhound. 

We  had  planned  to  notify  immediately  the  land 
lord  of  the  Del  Strawberry  Hotel  on  our  returning  to 
San  Jacinto  by  another  route  ;  also  by  this  same  mes 
senger  we  would  send  a  check,  fully  compensating 
the  burro  keeper  for  the  five  burros  we  had  lost  in 
the  storm. 

It  was  not  until  late  in  the  afternoon  that  the 
storm  began  rising  up  along  the  mountain  side  and 
the  rain  gently  ceased. 

"What  point  are  you  calculating  to  reach?" 
asked  Mr.  Wells  of  Benjamin  and  me,  while  we 
were  busily  packing  things  for  the  furthering  of  the 
journey. 

"We  are  going  as  straight  south  as  the  instinct 
of  man  will  lead." 

"Pretty  definite,"  replied  Mr.  Wells,  turning  to 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  195 

"Thomas  Ranch,  Mr.  Wells,"  I  added,  helping 
Benjamin  out  with  his  brief  reply. 

A  half -hour's  steady  travelling  carried  us  to  a 
high  bluff  looking  down  upon  a  typical  Spanish  Ran- 
cho. 

"It's  surely  an  old  Spanish  Rancho  in  reality," 
said  Mr.  Wells. 

"Yes,  the  country  is  always  real  to  city  gentle 
men,  and,  yes,  it's  often  rich,  sometimes  worth  more 
than  brick  blocks  and  city  lots.  Here,  Mr.  Wells,  is 
a  good  sample  of  country  wealth,"  and  I  pointed  out 
several  large  herds  of  cattle. 

"Nigh  several  thousand,"  he  said,  trying  to 
act  the  part  of  a  Texan  while  in  sight  of  long 
horned  cattle. 

"Nigh  Calif ornian,"  remarked  his  wife,  turning 
to  find  her  husband  busily  counting  the  scattered 
herds  upon  his  fingers. 

"Out  of  fingers,"  he  said  at  last. 

As  we  drew  nearer  the  ranch  house,  we  could 
hear  the  landlady  speaking  in  Spanish  to  her  several 
vaqueros,  presumably  dictating  the  care  of  the  herds 
of  cattle.  Upon  an  old  fashioned  gate,  and  just  be 
fore  this  low  ranch  house  was  lettered  in  plain  Eng 
lish  characters,  "Should  you  chance  this  way,  make 
this  your  home."  The  words  created  a  desire  to  meet 
the  kind-spirited  author.  Often  times  later  in  life 
I  have  paused  when  entering  the  old  fashioned  style  of 


196  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

gate,  just  to  see  if  those  words  had  ever  been  written 
upon  it.  And  then  when  I  find  it  missing,  I  often 
wonder  if  I  am  welcomed  by  the  proprietor  of  the 
house. 

Just  within  the  gate,  some  half-dozen  dogs 
sprang  up  from  here  and  there  in  the  yard,  giving 
their  landlady  full  notice  of  the  arrival  of  strangers. 
Brave  Trailer  would  in  an  instant  have  given  battle 
even  against  great  numbers,  had  not  severe  scolding 
cowed  him. 

Even  before  we  could  knock  upon  the  rude  door, 
it  opened,  and  standing  in  it  was  a  large  robust  lady, 
apparently  of  pure  Spanish  blood.  "Can  this  rancho 
do  something  to  aid  a  stranger  on  his  way?"  this 
Spanish  lady  asked  in  her  broken  English.  "Yes,"  and 
I  nodded  politely,  soon  explaining  the  assistance  she 
might  afford  us  by  serving  us  with  a  lunch,  for  which 
we  should  recompense  her  doubly. 

"You  are  to  pay  me,  do  you  mean?"  The  Span 
ish  lady  paused  for  my  reply. 

uYes  ma'am,''  I  said. 

"No  sir,  not  I,  free  Californian  ;  many  strangers 
have  I  helped  on  their  way.  Not  to  a  free  Californian 
can  you  pay  for  kindness." 

Although  we  did  not  in  any  way  wish  to  throw 
too  much  burden  on  this  Spanish  lady,  we  were  very 
tired,  and  did  after  lunch  ask  to  remain  for  the  night. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  197 

How  very  kind  she  seemed  as  she  quickly  said,  "In 
deed,  strangers,  my  house  is  open  to  you." 

"How  far  do  you  go  to-day?"  asked  this  same 
lady,  when  she  had  served  us  with  breakfast  the 
next  morning. 

"To  San  Jacinto,"  I  replied.  "We  shall  walk 
unless  we  meet  the  stages  in  from  Kenworthy. " 

"Ah,  rny  dear  strangers,  the  stage  will  not  be 
going  your  way  until  Saturday.  But  then,  you  need 
not  wait  for  it ;  you  shall  have  my  stage,  for  I  have 
horses  numbering  hundreds." 

Loudly  Mrs.  Thomas  called,  "Jose,  Jose!"  and 
another  Spanish  boy  whose  name  we  could  not  call  to 
mind,  and  when  they  came  she  told  them  to  make 
ready  the  spring  stage.  A  spring  wagon,  I  would  call 
it ;  and  of  an  early  pattern,  for  its  short  bed  set 
high  above  the  wheels. 

"Rather  quaint,"  remarked  Porta,  smiling 
when  the  three-seated  spring  wagon  was  driven 
to  the  front  gate. 

"Here,  friends,  is  your  conveyance,  and  may 
good  luck  go  with  you,"  were  the  last  words  of  the 
Spanish  lady,  whose  kindness  shall  ever  remain  in 
our  memory.  The  many  thanks  we  showered  back 
upon  her  have  left  an  echo  still  ringing  throughout 
the  hills  surrounding  the  Thomas  Rancho. 

Our  story  is  nearing  its  end.  We  were  now  driv 
ing  down  the  broad  streets  of  San  Jacinto.  The  time 


198  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

came  for  sending  the  stage  back  to  the  Thomas  Ran- 
cho,  and  as  we  graciously  thanked  the  two  Spanish 
boys,  we  slipped  in  the  pocket  of  each  five  dollars 
in  gold  coin,  saying  as  we  did  so,  "We  must  pay 
someone. ' '  The  coins  had  hardly  left  our  fingers  be 
fore  they  were  returned  with  these  words,  in  lame 
English  :  "No  sir,  Mrs.  Thomas  will  punish  us  should 
we  receive  money  for  a  kindness." 

Early  this  same  afternoon  Mr.  Wells,  Benjamin 
Phillips  and  myself  hastened  to  my  residence  to  see 
Mac,  whom  I  had  commissioned  to  care  for  all  my 
interests.  We  found  him,  and  it  was  :  "How  did  you 
enjoy  the  trip?  What  think  ye  of  the  mountains?" 

"Ah,  you  smile,  Mac ;  tell  us  what  makes  you  so 
happy,"  I  said. 

"I  was  afraid  you  had  perished  in  the  storm," 
he  roplied  soberly. 

"What  storm?"  put  in  Benjamin  innocently. 

"Why  I  read  of  it  last  evening."  In  another  in 
stant  Mac  had  procured  the  San  Jacinto  "Daily  Reg 
ister,"  and  sure  enough  as  he  had  told  us,  the  head 
lines  read:  "Six  tourists  perish  in  the  mountains." 

At  first  it  seemed  that  it  would  be  only  a  matter 
of  a  few  hours  before  the  mysterious  cave  would  be 
discovered.  But  the  longer  we  thought,  the  better 
assurance  we  had  of  its  still  remaining  undiscovered 
by  others.  We  had  duly  notified  the  landlord  of  the 
Del  Strawberry  Hotel  of  our  safe  return  to  San  Ja 
cinto  by  another  route. 


MYSTICA  ALGOOAT.  199 

"Mac,"  I  said  slowly,  addresssing  the  honest  old 
man  a  moment  later,  "I'm  going  to  San  Francisco, 
and  that  Saturday,  so  if  there  is  any  business  of  great 
importance  mention  it  now." 

"For  how  long?"  he  asked. 

"Four  weeks,"  I  replied. 

Then  Mac  began  enumerating  over  on  his  fingers 
a  dozen  or  more  things  he  thought  needed  immediate 
attention.  I  went  over  his  list  very  carefully,  but 
found  none  of  any  great  importance,  and  I  told  honest 
Mac  to  use  his  own  judgment.  This  pleased  him,  and  I 
was  glad  I  could  go,  knowing  of  the  high  spirits  in 
which  I  had  left  him. 

"Well,"  he  said,  calling  me  back,  "the  old  Ha 
waiian  wedding  trip  is  going  to  materialize  after  two 
years  picket  firing." 

"Perhaps,  Mac,  it  is,"  said  Benjamin,  smiling 
across  at  me. 

"Use  your  own  judgment,  Mac  ;  I'll  be  back  in 
four  weeks,  and  should  business  matters  get  too 
strong  for  you,  address  me  in  care  of  Henry  Wells, 
1001  Pine  Street,  San  Francisco." 

"Pine  Street,  Strawberry  Valley?"  Mac  asked, 
looking  up  at  me  from  over  his  eye  glasses. 

"No  sir,  San  Francisco,  California,"  Benjamin 
replied  with  great  emphasis. 

The  months'  trip  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  as 
had  long  been  planned,  was  cut  short  by  the  fear  that 


200  MYSTICA  ALGOOAT. 

I 

our  cave  might  be  discovered ;  so  after  a  short  sea 
trip  along  the  Californian  coast  we  were  back  at  the 
Hotel  Del  Strawberry.  Benjamin  registered  in  a  bold 
hand  two  names,  using  the  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  and  as  to 
whether  or  not  I  did  I  will  leave  you  to  discover  for 
yourself  should  you  ever  pay  the  grand  hotel  a  visit. 

With  us  we  had  brought  from  San  Francisco  sev 
eral  mining  engineers,  to  aid  in  further  developing 
our  underground  property. 

Our  secrets  were  still  hidden  the  day  we  left  the 
Del  Strawberry  Hotel  to  scale  Tauquitz  Peak,  and  go 
down  its  eastern  slope  to  the  mouth  of  the  mysterious 
cave. 

The  diamonds  Porta  and  Gertrude  gathered  from 
the  cave  are  being  worn  by  scientists  who  know  the 
world,  both  soil  and  air ;  still  these  same  scientists 
examining  their  diamonds,  little  think  of  their  being 
the  product  of  mysterious  Tauquitz  Peak,  in  southern 
California. 

Still  we  are  delving  among  a  people  long  since 
dead. 


THE    END. 


* 


